Trick or Treat on the Square 2023
We had a GREAT night at our Trick or Treat on the Square 2023! It was a COLD night, but we had a record turnout none the less. This could be in part to the Chick-fil-a food truck! They joined us for the night and families had a great time trick-or-treating and grabbing a bite to eat as well. In fact, Chick-Fil-A had to send for MORE food. How about that!
Thanks to the organizations and businesses who came out to give the kiddos treats!
American Legion Women’s Auxiliary
Bill Harvey Construction
Boy Scouts
Brandi Booth
Checkerboard
Christ Family Church
City of Pleasantville
Crush Nutrition
D&D Auto Body
Dollar General
Fairview Christian Church
Friends of the Library
Marion County Express
Masons
Peoples Bank
Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce
Pleasantville Christian Church
Smokey Row
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Unleashed Pet Boarding
Za-Ga-Zig Shriners
Pville Pig Out 2023
We had some fun at the 2023 Pleasantville Pig Out! We set up our 9-Square set on the square and kids, teens, and adults had some fun playing the game! We love to bring a little fun to our community whenever we can.
2022 Trick or Treat on the Square
Trick or Treat! We had so much fun on the square with everyone this year!
Thanks to all of the local businesses and organizations who participated! We are so happy when we can all come together and make the night special for the kids in our community.
Those who participated were:
The City of Pleasantville
Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce
Friends of the Library
Masonic Lodge
Pleasantville Christian Church
Unleashed Pet Boarding
Christ Family Church
Zag Trax Shriners
Fairview Christian Church
St Paul’s United Methodist Church
Brandi Booth
Bill Harvey Construction
Stubb’s Propane
D&D Auto
People’s Bank
Smokey Row
Auxiliary
Adriana Freeborn
16,040 Meals Distributed: Summer 2022
This Summer, we helped distribute 16,040 meals to Pleasantville Kids and Teens! A total of 4,010 Bags were passed out, each containing two breakfasts and two lunches. Knoxville Food Youth Initiative has worked so hard to meet Pleasantville’s requested numbers, and we were so blessed to work with them to get those meals into the hands of our community members. They serve not only Pleasantville, but Knoxville, Melcher, and more!
Teens and kids showed up with parents to pick up their meals. They also came on their own, pulling wagons or riding their bicycles. We loved serving them and getting to say hello every Monday Wednesday and Friday.
Over the summer, we had many incredible volunteers who helped us! We would like to give a special shout-out to teens Reagan Murray and Adoniah Koenig who were present almost every day that we distributed meals. Also to the many little ones who came along with their moms or grandmas to help out!
A HUGE thanks goes to Pleasantville’s St. Paul United Methodist Church for the use of their facility, and for the women who volunteered each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Their hard work, hospitality, and joyful presence reminded us so much of Jesus, who they love and serve.
And we can’t forget to say thank you to our dear friend Jim Brees, who delivered the meals and took care of much of the heavy lifting every single day. Selfless, helpful, and generous, we looked forward to hearing his big booming “hello!” each time he arrived. His arms were always full of boxes and coolers, or popsicles he brought for the children who were helping.
We love our community. We were so happy to help serve them this summer!
Building Updates
June 3, 2022 Update
Wondering where we're at with our building project? We've raised $115,000 toward our goal! That's HUGE! Of course, it's only a drop in the bucket toward our whole goal. However, the more we raise in this way, the more likely we are to receive higher donations and grants, most of which are matching or require a percentage of funds to be raised.
We're sure tired of seeing the building empty and sad looking. We're sure you are too! But we want to assure you that we are working HARD to get this project started. GOOD things will be happening there. People will find comfort, guidance, resources, and JOY in that place. We will not stop until it happens!
Co-Founders Emily and Jennie, as well as our board members, are constantly researching, applying, contacting, and connecting. In the meantime, we're also doing research on how to best serve our community as a whole (more on that soon).
We'd like to remind our community that we WILL complete this project, and ask for your continued support both financially and prayerfully.
Lots and lots of good things to come. Get excited, Pleasantville! Please reach out if you have any questions at all about what we're doing.
If you'd like to see the whole building plan proposal, you can read it here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEp_1__b-8/view
April 26, 2022 Update
January 2022 Updates:
Our fundraising is in full-swing! Take a look at our Building Project Proposal. You can download it here:
As we begin the first phase of our building project, we want to keep the community updated. We hosted a community meeting where we explained our plans for our new location at the old Pleasantville Grocery Store. You can watch that meeting in its entirety (its about 40 minutes once we start talking) or you can read below the video for a summary.
Community Meeting Summary:
To get started, it’s important to understand what PvilleYI is all about!
We have been up to a lot in the Pleasantville Community over the last few years, from hosting events to meeting needs. This summer we are adding feeding kids to our list, too! Here’s some basic info, but look for more info soon on that!
So, if PvilleYI is already doing great things, why do we need a building anyways? Well, we have BIGGER goals for Pleasantville! While we primarily focus on youth, we see ourselves as a Generational Enrichment Ministry. This means we want to reach out to others in the community as well. We also recognize that by positively impacting a person’s life, we can create a positive path for generations after them.
In order to do this, we need a headquarters to work out of and space to achieve our big goals for both the youth and the community, which are summarized below.
So what’s the plan for the old grocery store? To start, let’s go over the building’s current condition. Mike Caulkins is heading up our construction research. Based on what he has found and confirmed with the professionals he has brought in to observe the building, there is not much that can be done to salvage the store as it is. In fact, he was told that it would take 3 masons an entire year working exclusively on the building just to make the space usable. Below are pictures of the current state of the basement of the building.
From Mike’s research, we understand that it would cost much more to “renovate” the building. Plus, there’s so much damage that there would really be nothing left of the old building after the renovation. The best solution is to demo the old building and rebuild in the same footprint.
Before we continue, we want the community to know that we value the history of this location. In fact, we hope to bring it back to some of it’s original glory when we rebuild. Below you can see how much the location has changed over the years, going from a hotel to what we know today.
Below is our first look at the next phase of this location: PvilleYI’s headquarters.
This is a big project, but we serve a BIG God. We are passionate about making this dream a reality and serving Pleasantville, but it’s going to take a lot of work. We also know that relying on donations alone is not a sustainable model for building upkeep and ministry. With that in mind, we have a sustainability plan that will not only help us maintain the building and do ministry, but it will benefit the community as well!
The upper section of our building will have a co-working space and a commercial office space. If you aren’t familiar with co-working spaces, they are the newest way to get work done without the distractions of home. Individuals can rent a spot for the day, or pay a monthly fee to use it when they want. There will also be a conference room to be reserved for meetings. More on this will be revealed as we get closer! Below are some examples of co-working spaces, just to give you an idea of what they are.
This project is estimated to cost 1.6 million dollars. Which, we know, is a lot of money! How exactly do we plan to raise that much money? We hope to raise at least $250,000 of those funds from Pleasantville community support. This will give us a base to apply for grants, as most grants require a percentage of the funds to be raised before the grant application is considered. We will present our vision to businesses, apply for grants, and host events to help us reach our goals. We are praying for God to provide, and we plan to work hard to do our part to make it happen!
Individuals who would like to donate can do so in many ways. Donate online through our website or through Facebook (there are no fees with Facebook donations), Venmo @pvilleYI, mail us: PO Box 295 Pleasantville, IA, create and throw your own fundraiser, and employer matches.
We want to be a light in the Pleasantville community. A place where loneliness is forgotten, where shame is stripped away, and where opportunities abound. We can’t wait to get started! Keep checking back for more updates!
Blue Christmas 2021- Ecumenical Service
On December 21, 2021, PvilleYI joined together with St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Pleasantville Christian Church, and Fairview Christian Church to host a Blue Christmas event.
The Holiday season isn’t always joyful for everyone. Many struggle with grief, depression, and loneliness this time of year. This event provides a space for people who struggle during the holidays to acknowledge loss, receive prayer, and find light in the darkness.
Special thanks to Pastor Brandon Campbell from St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Pastor Don Naftz from Pleasantville Christian Church, Pastor Clinton Wallace from Fairview Christian Church, and Pastor Willa Heaberlin from Woodburn Christian Church. Each Pastor shared a short message with the crowd.
Stations were set up where people could light a candle in memory of a loved one, write down their hurts and symbolically lay them at the foot of the cross, and where they could write an encouraging note for someone else to take home with them.
This was the fist ecumenical service in Pleasantville for many years, and we were honored to be a part of it.
Another huge THANK YOU to Smokey Row for allowing us to use your facility for this event!
Art Supplies Donated to PHS
When we heard that the PHS CSD Art Department was in need of some supplies, we knew we needed to help! Creativity is such an important, God designed part of who we are. Fueling creativity in young people gives them purpose, gives them something to do, and helps them grow.
PvilleYI donated over $1,000 in supplies including sketch books, paints, colored pencils, and so much more. This was all made possible by the the incredible generosity of those who have donated to our organization! Great job, Pleasantville. Look what a wonderful thing you did!
The art supplies are already being put to good use. Look at these awesome Kindness Cards the students created for the residents at our local nursing home! We love this beautiful act of kindness, you guys! Great job!
We will treasure this beautiful, handmade thank you card!
