Last Tuesday we hosted the Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast. We had a panel of community experts sharing, from their perspective, how we could pray for our city during the economic downturn.
Nichole McGahey, President of Caring Connections, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of children/families in BUSD, shared about the struggles that local families with school-aged children are experiencing. She also remarked on the incredible support within our community & school district to help one another.
Marina Flores, Program Director of Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing through OPHS, shared about the 150 families that have approached their program for help keeping a roof over their heads.
Mike Egan, City Manager of Bellflower, expressed his deep gratitude for the staff who have remained faithful to serving even though they've had to take big cuts and for the many organizations who have stepped up to take over what the city can no longer afford. He was transparent in sharing the many financial needs in our city and asked for the people to pray for wisdom for the leaders as they make tough decisions.
Cristina McConnell, President of the Bellflower Chamber of Commerce, told the crowd about how several business owners are working together to creatively support local businesses in our city. She also shared about the hard times many local businesses are facing due to people spending less of their paycheck locally.
After the panel shared their prayer requests, four community members led the group of 100 in prayer.
One guest was particularly moved by the stories of local families struggling to make ends meet. The next morning he dropped off a check for $1000 to Caring Connections to be used toward basic needs for families in our school district.
Click here to read the article written about the breakfast on Press Telegram.