On Monday, January 20, 2025, the World Mission Society Church of God in Fresno and the ASEZ group partnered with Beautify Fresno on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to clean up downtown Fresno. This day marks the 30th anniversary as Martin Luther King Jr. Day being appointed as a National Day of Service, with the goal to honor Dr. King’s legacy and encourage all Americans to contribute to bettering their communities.
Around 55 volunteers came out to participate in the cleanup, and approximately 50 bags of trash were collected by the end of the event! Volunteers’ ages ranged from 6 years old to 70 years old, all with the same united mind to serve the community and bring glory to our Heavenly Father and Mother!
Beautify Fresno schedule
The volunteers gathered at 1:15 p.m. and finished at 3:30 p.m., cleaning up various areas of downtown Fresno with Chukchanski Park as the starting location. The areas ranged from Tulare Street all the way down to Santa Clara Street, and teams scattered into four different areas to tackle the entire grid in a short period of time. Downtown Fresno is the heart of the city; therefore, many people and traffic come through these areas throughout the week. Home to City Hall, Superior Court, Chukchansi Park, major food spots, and even the World Mission Society Church of God in Fresno; it is imperative to keep the heart of the city clean and presentable.
The ASEZ group, the university student volunteer part of the World Mission Society Church of God, also had a dozen members participate in the cleanup a day before school resumed at California State University, Fresno. This was the perfect way to start off the new semester and introduce the “Elohist Club” to other students and citizens of Fresno. The Elohist Club is a bible-based club on campus that also hosts and participates in frequent volunteer events.
Volunteers are amazing
The coordinators of the event were pleased with the efforts by the volunteers and many shared laughs and smiles with one another throughout the entire afternoon. One even stated, “The people from this church are amazing!” Volunteers always gave thanks to our Heavenly Father and Mother for allowing such a gracious event to happen and turn out successful.
The Church of God members also follow the teaching of Heavenly Mother, who said “It is more blessed to give love than to receive, as God always gives love.” The World Mission Society Church of God and ASEZ regularly hold cleanups all throughout the world, and the Fresno branch is hoping to partner with beautify Fresno for more events such as this one in an effort to help revitalize the city. Thanks to our Heavenly Father and Mother for allowing a beautiful partnership today in order to beautify the heart of Fresno’s city.
