Our Beginnings

Gap began in 1985 in a local Nursing Home in Fresno California. Peggy Brandon had a heart and vision to share the love of Christ with seniors in Nursing Homes. Through her visits with them, she understood their loneliness and desire to just have a single visitor who would care about them. Approximately 85 percent of Nursing Home residents receive no visitors once they are admitted to a facility. She began visiting one facility in Central Fresno. Through this one small act, she began bringing moms and kids from her church (Valley Christian Center) to share a craft, worship, and visit time. This same group started something called the “Children’s Hour”, a twice a month one hour time inter-generational sharing time between moms, kids, and residents. Within a few years it spread to many other facilities in Fresno. With the exception of one year, the Childrens’ Hour has continued in facilities in Fresno from 1985 to the current time.

Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA) Executive Director Alan Doswald, was also foundational in helping to establish GAP Ministries. From this small beginning, many individuals, Churches, groups, and schools have became involved with individual residents. This small army become part of the community life and Body of Christ in many facilities and care homes. This has been accomplished in many ways by having children and families visit, through shared Worship and Bible Studies, crafts and art groups,card making for special occasions, and helping to prepare gifts for Christmas throughout the year. Through this one small seed, many residents have been touched by the Love of Christ through reaching one individual and Nursing Home at a time.