THREE DECADES.
How does an idea become a movement? It all started when John Gunn prayed the dangerous rayer: “God, how can you use me to reach vulnerable kids in the inner city?” In March of 1993, Pastor John Gunn opened The Power Company Kids Club in Pontiac, Michigan with 23 kids. Since then, thousands of young lives have been transformed by Jesus. Today, our programs are staffed and run by amazing young men and women who grew up in the Power Company over the past 30 years! They oversee a volunteer army who reach more than 1,600 children each week in Detroit and Pontiac.
TWO CITIES.
The Motor City put the world on wheels. But changing times left many residents struggling for survival. Despite gains in the downtown area, Detroit is still overrun with burned-out houses, vacant buildings, and abandoned schools. Where we focus our ministry, 94-percent of children live below the poverty line. Pontiac faces the same challenges of blight, gangs, and generational poverty. Hunger is likewise a concern, with 49-percent of local kids below the poverty line. We believe God has called us to these cities with such rich and diverse histories — to give hope and a future to urban youth
ONE GOAL.
Our mission has always been to guide inner city youth toward healthy, successful, sustainable independence. How? By helping at-risk kids discover and develop their strengths and talents. That’s what “empowering children” means. It’s not just about what we do for kids, it’s what they learn to do for themselves. Because we focus on “building champions,” thousands of at-risk kids are graduating from high school, attending college, and becoming godly leaders. It takes years of weekly training and in-home visits, but it’s worth it — the life change impacts countless generations to come.
