Lydia Maya moved among tables at the yard sale, filling a 30-gallon trash bag with clothes and household items. However, unlike a typical yard sale, this was not actually a sale at all. It was all free.

Members of several congregations hosted the block party at East Side Fellowship, across the street from Wheatley Courts, as a way to connect to people their churches don't normally reach.

Before leaving, Maya planned to pick up a bag of school supplies and a food box, and maybe have a hot dog and chips while listening to a band — all of it free.

“We want to connect long-term with the community, not just fly in and fly out,” said Wayne Crooks, a pastor from Embassy of Hope Center in San Antonio. “We want to be part of their lives. We're here to tell them there is hope. There is an answer. God has not forsaken them.”

Pastor Darrell Clayton of God's House, another area church, said the next step will be to form teams to go door to door to visit with the residents who filled out registration forms to get the free goods Saturday.

“We will build relationships with these people,” Clayton said. “This is not just a one-day event. We'll find out what the root issue is in their lives and work with them to overcome it.”

Bambi Whitkanack said she was open to having church members work with her.

“I heard there was a block party and I wanted to check it out,” she said as she filled a bag with clothes. “I'll have some food and my son was watching a puppet show. It's fun.”

Many of the volunteers were from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, who made a mission trip to San Antonio's East Side for the weekend.

Jan Weddle was registering the visitors and handing out tickets for the school supplies and food boxes. She said 90 people had filled out the forms in the first hour of the block party.

Prestonwood member Diana Pendley said the group of adults and schoolchildren from the church spent two days cleaning trash from empty lots, holding Bible study meetings and preparing for the block party.

“This is a great opportunity for our kids to get out of the Plano bubble and remember we are called to give and not just receive,” she said.

Article written by: Roger Croteau from the San Antonio Express News on August 3, 2008