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Save Our Streets Ministries recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. It will break ground on a $4 million, 26,000-square-foot facility in October.

The students are picked up from the neighborhoods by bus and transported to First Baptist Church Bryan.

S.O.S. Ministries serves 50 to 70 Bryan children every week, in addition to providing a men's home for discipleship and recovery.

A place to call home

Aggies reach out to children, teenagers through ministries dedicated to getting them off the streets

By: Amanda Casanova

Posted: 9/30/08

For 15 years, Save Our Streets Ministries has helped recovering drug and alcohol addicts obtain jobs and find church families. The inner-city Christian outreach program has launched Bible studies and led crusades in area prisons.

Even after celebrating its 15th anniversary, S.O.S. is still looking to expand. The latest goal is to build a 24-hour center on Groesbeck Street in Bryan. Groundbreaking for the facility is slated for October.

The 26,000-square-foot facility will house a gym, classrooms and counseling offices totalling more than $4 million.

"Once we're actually in the neighborhoods, we'll bring in so many more people," said Morgan Davis, senior elementary education major and assistant Children's Ministry director. "Hopefully, more people come to Jesus. Anyway, that's where I see it going."

After 50 gang-related shootings shocked the Bryan-College Station area in 1993, S.O.S. was launched to help ease tensions.

The ministry also sponsors a men's home in consistency with the plan to curb criminal activity. Residents, typically drug and alcohol addicts, are guided through a discipleship and recovery program.

Every Thursday, some 50 to 70 children are bussed from neighborhoods in Bryan and packed into First Baptist Church Bryan. Stacy Cranfill, junior psychology major and S.O.S. Children's Ministry director, said the children arrive clamoring for attention and their favorite snack -- Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

"It's pure chaos," she said, laughing. "They'll run up to you and hug you, and then flip off you. It's just cool to see the kids at the end of the semester and see their transformation. You can learn a lot from these kids."

More than 300 volunteers, including about 30 students, dedicate their nights to S.O.S.

"Our main goal is to just let them know that no matter where they've been or what they've done, the Lord cares for them," Davis said. "We really just get to bond with them and love on them. From those relationships we form, we then spend time with them."

Davis said volunteers don't simply log hours with the children and leave. Many of the volunteers take the children to movies, eat lunch with them at school or invite them to Sunday services at church.

"Consistency in people's lives is really important," she said. "It's just important that these kids know that people care about them."

Sierra Long, senior history major and assistant director for Children's Ministry, said the ministry also aims to provide a safe atmosphere for the children.

"A lot of these kids might not get as much attention as at home, so it's really cool for all of them to have a place to go to because Bryan can be a pretty bad area," she said.

This will be the second year Cranfill has been involved with S.O.S.

"It's so important to me personally because preaching the Gospel is really important to me," she said. "It's really cool to see these kids grow. I almost wish I wouldn't graduate, so I could see the Ministry continue to grow."

For Davis, volunteering with S.O.S. allows her to gain career experience and share her faith.

"The reason I want to teach is not to just be in a classroom, but to let them know that there are people that care about them," Davis said. "It's not about content and grades."

Cranfill said S.O.S. gives her the opportunity to break from her comfort zone and help others.

"We're in a bubble," she said. "I didn't even see children my freshman year. It's a good way to get into the real world and out of our element."