30 years ago, the St. Paul neighborhood was home to gangs, drugs and other criminal activity. Residents lived in fear and children were unable to play safely outdoors. On a Sunday morning, a little boy riding his bike stopped to ask a member of St. Paul Methodist Church if anyone was able to attend the church and she replied “yes!”

 

That one question led to the creation of a faith-based mission that has touched the lives of thousands of children and families in the Tyler community and beyond. Establishing Wonderful Wednesdays after school program was vital in order to reach many other children in the community, and we could not do it without the volunteers that would help with the programs.

 

Eventually, the volunteers began to watch the needs of the community grow and in 1993, the Food Pantry and Clothes Closet opened. Then in 1996, the Medical and Dental Clinic opened. Since then the programs continued to expand, it was decided that an organization needed to be formed. In 1996, St. Paul Children’s Services was created as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to oversee and fund the community outreach programs.