Where Val Is - Hope Springs Up
Written by Tim Buckley and Jim Seymour, June 2024
ValJean with a child at Salem Evangelical Church
“It just didn’t sit right with me,” said ValJean Pratt, a 40-year volunteer with Salem Evangelical Church in North Salem. “Sometimes I got the sense that the church wasn’t as responsive to the needs of surrounding neighborhood as I wished it was.
It’s a very different story today, partly because of her passion, her ability to attract others into the effort, and her leadership skills. The church has opened its arms, its heart, and its doors to the neighborhood surrounding it.
So, when the Highland Neighborhood Family Council was launched last year it was only natural to reach out to Val. Her answer: “You betcha! You’re welcome here! How can we help?”
Children and their families enjoy free activities during Highland NFC’s first Children’s Day Celebration in 2024
Val exhibits a behavior that is crucial to building community resilience. She brings people together to play, to learn, to grow and serve one another. As a result, hope springs up and becomes more common place.
In early May, The Highland Neighborhood Family Council (NFC) transformed the multipurpose hall at the church into a festival court – Children’s Day Celebration. Val and several other church volunteers were there every step of the way.
Even as the first few families arrived before the 5 p.m. opening, there was music, there were balloons everywhere, volunteers scurried to put finishing touches on various activity booths, and the aroma of a wonderful meal was in the air.
A family at the recent Children’s Day Celebration
Approximately 200 children and 120 parents enjoyed a wonderful evening together. The all got family portraits taken and spent time together decorating their custom photo frame. Learning how to make pinatas was a big hit. Children and parents danced to music videos as costumed superheroes joined in. Batman, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Super Mario were all there. And, of course, there were long lines at the Girl Scout face painting stands.
Meanwhile, in the church’s commercial kitchen, Highland Family Council moms prepared a traditional Mexican meal called Birria. It had been simmering for hours in a cauldron big enough to satisfy 320 people with big appetites.
After dinner, there were more games, music and a raffle where ten $50-dollar WinCo Gift Cards were gifted to the lucky ticket holders. Before leaving, every child received a gift. Some got toys or board games, while others walked away with a new soccer or basketball.
ValJean with her husband Larry
The “seedbed” from which Val’s collaborative attitude grows is found in her faith. It’s a human characteristic that is older than the hills: an Outward Mindset to help each other find safety, connection, health, and joy in community. It is found in CBEL’s charter and in the foundations of the Neighborhood Family Councils. At its core, it is about loving one another.