Photos / Videos

A Message From Committee Member Rory Rottschalk

For many, a significant part of Chico's appeal is the "family" nature of the city. "This is a good place to raise kids" is a reason often quoted by people choosing Chico as a place to live. The family is designed to raise kids into adults with a sense of dignity. Dignity can be described as a feeling of significance based on a positive self image and a sense of purpose. Unfortunately, the pressures on the families of today (even in Chico) are extreme and often do not produce the well-adjusted children that our culture depends on for its health and continuance.

Without an appropriate sense of identity and purpose we are "lost", left to navigate life without a compass. We continue to look for the answers to life's questions "who am I?" and "why am I here?" There are many false answers to these questions that present themselves, ending up as nothing more than dead-end streets. After taking a few of these fruitless paths, we end up hopeless.

This is the condition of many of the clients of the Jesus Center. In fact, the Jesus Center is a kind of gathering point for a segment of our culture, who for one reason or another, are 'lost and without hope.' These are the people God has determined to redeem, to give them a hope and a future.

The clients of the Jesus Center have tangible needs: food and shelter. By presenting an simple grid of our needs to a broad cross-section of our business community the Jesus Center can solicit community wide "adoption" of components of the plan without overwhelming any one business or individual. This is the essence of the Business Partnership Program.