Over a year ago, I made a commitment to visit each Bloomington church by the end of my term in December. Having visited more than two-thirds of our 46 churches, I can report that Bloomington has a very rich faith resource that serves its members, neighborhoods and community. Congregations also serve in Loaves and Fishes at Creekside and provide assistance to those not able to get out through Dinner at Your Door and Meals on Wheels. Several congregations have specialized counseling programs to assist people in times of need. Others provide meeting space for groups such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous, neighborhood youth programs and parish nursing programs.
Many people assist the community through service, fraternal and other voluntary organizations.
The Bloomington Crime Prevention Association supports the Police Department and is increasing its presence among youth through its new Bloomington Youth Commission. The City and School District have joined with others to initiate Bloomington United for Youth, which focuses on building assets in youth. See page 7 . The City and School District also cosponsor the Galaxy Youth Center located at Bloomington Education Center. In addition, several youth sports clubs offer traveling team competition with athletes from other communities.