Middle School Dance Night 2023
Well, that was FUN! Over 100 Middle School students attended our 2023 dance night! We had so much fun! Of course this event was free with snacks and drinks, as well as MUSIC!
Happy May Day! 2023
We delivered our annual May Baskets to the elementary school on May 1st! 600 little bags of fun for each student. Little surprises bring a lot of joy to life, don’t they!
Knoxville Rec Center Night
We had another great time at the Knoxville Rec Center on March 4, 2023! We love renting the rec center and inviting Pleasantville’s teens over to swim and play basketball. They love to socialize and get out of the house on cold nights! It’s always a hit!
Middle School Winter Dance Night
On February 3rd, 2023, we had a BLAST hosting a Middle School only Dance Night at Pleasantville’s Memorial Hall! Cass was back with Central Iowa DJ blasting tunes. We offered free drinks and snacks as always, and the kids had a fantastic time dancing and snapping photos at the photo booth area. We had fun giveaways, too!
Care Bears for Girl Scouts
On December 14, 2022, PvilleYI co-founders were invited to attend the Christmas Party for Girl Scout Troop 624. Of course we couldn’t go empty handed! Thanks to a generous donation, we brought a Care Bear to every single girl scout. Each box was wrapped in festive Christmas paper. The girls could hardly wait to open them! They were so excited, and we were too!
Post Game Party 2022
We were so excited to have 120 students attend our 2022 Post Game Party! That is our highest event attendance to date. This event was, as always, FREE.
This event was for Middle School and High School students and took place after the PHS home football game. Students were greeted warmly (quite literally, it was COLD!) and welcomed into the Memorial Hall. Tons of snacks and pop were waiting for them, as well as tables to hang out at and a dance floor booming with music thanks to Cass Lester with Central Iowa DJ.
We had such a great time!
Our Middle School Dance was EPIC!
95 Students attended our annual Middle School Dance on September 23, 2022. That’s just about every 7th and 8th grader that attends Pleasantville Schools!
We had tons of snacks, funny giveaways, DJ and atmosphere, and of course our photo booth.
A huge THANKS goes to The City of Pleasantville for the use of the Memorial Hall, as well as to Cass Lester with Central Iowa Dj.
We danced the night away!
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!
Girl Scout Troop Mommy & Me Spa Day
On Friday, May 6th, PvilleYI was excited to be invited to help out at a very special Mommy and Me Spa Day hosted by Pleasantville’s Girl Scout troop! We provided a table where the girls could give their moms a luxurious sugar hand scrub, followed by some lovely lotions and perfume. We also donated a bag of goodies for each mom and daughter to take home with them. It was a FUN time!
Over $7,000 Raised At Silent Auction
On April 30th, 2022, PvilleYI hosted a Silent Auction fundraiser with guest speaker Van Harden. We had a great turn out and raised $7,440 to help fund our work over the next year in Pleasantville!
We are so thankful for all the hard work that our volunteers put into the event. We appreciated especially the help of our volunteer musicians, Mike Fust and his daughter Grace Fust, as well as our guest “amateur” auctioneer Mark Core.
And of course, we were more than honored to hear the kind and supportive words that Van Harden had to share about our work here! We were so encouraged by his stories and his daily prayer, “Tell me. Send me. Show me.”
We would like to say THANK YOU to all of the individuals and organizations who donated goods to our silent auction fundraiser. THANK YOU for helping us raise over $7,000 for our work here in Pleasantville! We are GRATEFUL!
Jerry & Pandia Bender
Paul Gordon
Midwest Wheel
Iowa Pork Producers
Iowa State Fair
Skip Jackson
The Galvin House
Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay Packers
Rubish to Rubies
Stubbs Propane
Angel Bingham with Young Living
Knoxville Aviation
Fireside Winery
Shivers Farms
Rejuvenate Rx
Iowa State University
Pleasantville Girl Scouts
Radiant Candle
Barb Pettyjohn
Brett Campbell
The West Place
Brian & Jerri Vestal with ABO Research
Sams Club
Oskaloosa Axe Club
Carly Hodson with Pampered Chef
Peoples Bank
Nancy Kelderman with Avon
Permanent Cosmetics
Lou Lane Soap Co
Michael & Jacque Moats
Tournament Tackle
Lakefront Living
Covenant Construction Services
Smokey Row
Iowa Cubs
Gilcrest Jewitt
Angie Hulsebus with Mary Kay
Kelsey Sutter
Mary Hampton
Elrod Timber
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
Justin and Stephanie Fehrer
Strawhat Farms
Checkerboard
Belzer Equipment
Margie Mix
Ky's Custom Woodworking & Restoration
Stringtown Seed Shop
Iowa Wild
Cookie Decorating With Pleasantville Girl Scouts
On February 16, 2022, PvilleYI Co-Founder Emily Caulkins taught our local Pleasantville Girl Scout Troop 624. It was a ton of fun! The Girl Scouts learned a little bit about the science of baking, as well as techniques for decorating sugar cookies like a pro.
The cookies and frosting the Girl Scouts used were made at our cookie decorating class the night before, where we taught teens how to mix, roll out, cut, and bake sugar cookies.
We were so happy to spend time with all these happy, smiling faces! We’re proud of these Girl Scouts and congratulations on getting your baking badges!
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!
Over 3,000 Meals Distributed to Pleasantville Kids & Teens
This summer, PvilleYI partnered with Knoxville Youth Food Initiative (KYFI) and St Pauls United Methodist Church to deliver free meals to Pleasantville’s Kids and Teens. KYFI delivered around 100 meals each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to Saint Paul’s Family Center where PvilleYI and church volunteers worked together to distribute the meals.
At the summer’s end, we had distributed over 3,000 meals in Pleasantville. This is an incredible blessing to the children, teens, and to their families.
We cannot thank KYFI enough for all they are doing in Marion County, and for letting us partner with them in this work. We are also so incredibly grateful to the folks at St. Paul’s, for not only letting us using their facility but for showing up each and every MWF to help. What an incredible example of being the hands and feet of Jesus!
We will continue to partner with KYFI for at least the next 5 years to supply Pleasantville kids and teens with much needed nutrition during the summer!
Middle School Dance Night 2021
What a FUN time we had at the Middle School Dance Night!
85% of Pleasantville’s 7th and 8th graders attended. We are blown away and humbled by that!
Teens enjoyed dance music, orange crush slushes, a mountain of Little Debbie snack cakes, every kind of Mountain Dew known to man, and of course we had water and bananas available, too!
Thank you to the City of Pleasantville for allowing us to use the Memorial Hall for this fun event!
We also want to thank Cass Lester at Central Iowa DJ for keeping the night humming along with awesome dance tunes.
And another big shout out to Bruce at Celebrate Church in Knoxville for letting us borrow the slushy machine!
Homecoming Parade 2021
As everyone in town knows, We LOVE a good parade! This year the school’s theme was the 1960s!
We chose to use the Beach Boys hit “Be True To Your School” as our float theme, and we had SO much fun blasting Beach Boys tunes along the parade route! We threw out tiny beach balls, Hawaiian leis, and of course, CANDY!
We love how our community comes together for Homecoming festivities! We thought the rain was going to slow us down a bit, but thankfully it stopped just in time.
GO TROJANS!
Homecoming Window Painting 2021
We are always impressed with the incredible creativity that Pleasantville kids put on display when they are given the opportunity!
We partnered with the PHS Stuco and the Art Department to have some awesome painted windows for Homecoming!
Each class sent in a design for approval. Then, teams of students from each grade came to paint their masterpieces. We absolutely LOVE all of them! If you drove through town, you probably saw them. But if you didn’t, here they all are!
Post Game Party 2021
Well that was fun! We had a BLAST at our 2021 Post Game Party!
We welcomed over 100 teens at our after game event.
Students had a blast dancing, eating snacks, and hanging out with their friends!
Thanks to Pleasantville Schools for letting us have our event in the PHS cafeteria! We are your BIGGEST fans!
Also thanks to Cass Lester at Central Iowa DJ for keeping the teens happy with tons of awesome music!
PvilleYI Chosen by 100+ Men on a Mission Red Rock for 10,450 Donation
We were beyond blessed to be chosen as the 100+ Men On A Mission - Red Rock’s Q1 recipient! This donation of $10,450 will be a seed to help us reach our goal of creating a headquarters for our work here in Pleasantville! Thank you to everyone who donated. We are GRATEFUL!
If you haven’t heard of this awesome organization, we encourage you to check it out! They have blessed many organizations right here in Marion County and will continue to do so. Awesome work!
Virtual Giving Envelopes: On Our Way To The First 250K
When our community comes together, things get done. It's as simple as that. We've seen it time and time again. And Pleasantville, it's time!
With the large amount we have to fundraise to make our building project a reality, we have to start with a strong base. Our first goal is a big one: $250K. This seed money will be vital. Most large donors and grants require a percentage of funds to be raised before an organization's application is considered.
To become eligible for big funding, we need your help. Would you prayerfully consider donating to one of these "envelopes" to help us launch our fundraising efforts in a big way?
Every donation makes a difference, and the clock is ticking. We want to get this place built and in action so that we can begin meeting the very real needs in our community.
Just this week members of our team have had dozens of conversations with community members, parents, and teens who tell us how desperately their children or friends need the kinds of programs and opportunities PvilleYI is preparing to offer.
Maybe you don't have teens yet. Maybe your kids are still young, or even babies! All the more reason for you to support this effort TODAY, for the future of your little ones who, before you know it, will be teens.
Maybe your kids are grown and out of school. Have you heard about the awesome things we are planning to do for the whole community? You'll want to give, because this project will positively impact the ENTIRE community.
We know our goal is big. But Pleasantville, we are going to do this. We are passionate. We are determined. We are equipped. We are READY.
Every single person who donates will have their name added to a beautiful mural we will paint inside our building.
To give, you can donate online on our website, on Facebook (zero fees!), or via Venmo: Pvilleyi. You can also mail a check to Pleasantville Youth Initiative PO Box 529 Pleasantville, IA 50225.
PLEASANTVILLE YOUTH INITIATIVE IS A 501 (C) (3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
EIN IS 47-5099903
DLN # IS 29053252330009
Donation "Envelopes"
400 People donating $25
200 People donating $50
200 People donating $100
100 People donating $500
20 People donating $1,000
10 People donating $5,000
5 People donating $10,000
Competition For Kids Who Like Games 2021
It was SO great to actually get to have an IN PERSON event again! Covid has been hard for all of us. Thankfully we were able to have this outdoor event and have some fun!
Teens were split into teams and given a team color with matching bandana. Each team came up with a funny name, and team identity!
Teams competed in a bunch of games curated to match the different levels of interest of teens. From Basketball to Dodgeball to Improv and Trivia, there was a little something for everyone!
We had a GREAT time!
Thanks so much to all our volunteers! And thank you to Celebrate Church, Knoxville for lending us your 9-Square sets!
