Sandra Lightner Leads Genesis Enterprises Project
This is the season of joy and the time that one little woman is at her best. Each year at this time, you better believe that Mrs. Sandra Lightner is somewhere in Compton, giving away toys, food, Bible quotes, and plenty of joy.
On January 11th, 2025, Sandra Lightner celebrated her birthday with the Compton community, family, friends, dignitaries, and city officials. They all came out for a great night of recognition of the work she has done and the impact she has made on Compton and the surrounding LA communities. This event was held at the Crystal Hotel in Compton, and it was an exquisite event with food, live music, and beautiful people who had an opportunity to show their love for Sandra Lightner and her family.
Sandra Lightner and the staff at Genesis Enterprises Project are doing a tremendous job providing recreation, training, and community activities for the Compton community.
In Compton, poverty and unemployment are high. There are many needy families in the community. Genesis has stood out as a beacon of light for many families who sometimes are kept in the dark because of their environment’s economic restraints. Sandra Lightner is an exceptional woman who works excellently and leads a family of dedicated community servants.
As director and founder of Genesis Enterprises Project, Mrs. Lightner has developed a project that provides hope, inspiration, and valuable experiences to the children and adults in the surrounding neighborhoods. The Genesis Enterprises Project improves the quality of life for many at-risk children by allowing them to venture out of their environment and broaden their knowledge and perspective on life with field trips and out-of-town excursions.
In July of each year, youths ages 13 to 17 are taken on a week-long excursion to Washington, DC, to visit the nation’s capital. These trips are funded solely by the efforts of Sandra Lightner and Genesis Enterprise by fundraising throughout the year.
Sandra Lightner, CEO of Genesis Enterprises Project, is a fantastic woman. There is no limit to her hard work and dedication to helping the community of Compton. She founded Genesis Enterprises Project in April of 2002 to bring a better quality of life to young children and their families, give them opportunities to better their lives and get life skills training to improve their futures.
Mrs. Lightner, with the help of her husband Renard Lightner (pictured above) and their children, along with many other volunteers, put on a Toy Drive for families at Christmas time, a Turkey Giveaway before Thanksgiving, and a Back to School Supplies Giveaway. Genesis has partnered with the City Pride Magazine. They provide afterschool activities, including a learning curriculum with writing, photography, reporting, interviewing, digital design, and many other media skills. And self-motivation classes. They have partnered to train young people in the multi-media and communications field while assisting with the publishing and distributing of City Pride Magazine and the Hub City Reporter.
Some great things are happening due to the work of Sandra Lightner and the Genesis Enterprises Project.
THEY NEED HELP!
FIND OUT HOW TO DONATE
Contact Sandra Lightner
(323) 497-7926
GENESIS ENTERPRISE, INC.
Genesis Enterprise, Inc. (Genesis), a non-profit 501(c)3 Community-Based Organization (CBO), was established in 2002 to address the basic survival and individualized human services needs of disadvantaged single mothers, at-risk youth, and homeless individuals seeking self-sufficiency, self-confidence, and self-respect. The underserved neighborhoods targeted in the City of Compton include Wilmington Arms, Jasmin Gardens, formally known as Park Village, and Sonny Cove.
To effectively respond to the targeted populations’ various needs, Genesis initiated a pass-through Solicitation and Distribution Activity (SDA) with the help of volunteers in the community and surrounding areas. The volunteers solicited donations whenever and wherever possible and then personally distributed them where needed. Donations included nonperishable food, health and hygiene supplies, school supplies, and clothing.
Youth volunteers were also recruited to contribute their time and efforts to help clean up their neighborhood. Each targeted Compton area is adjacent to Walter R. Tucker Park, a park known as a “safe haven.” Community youth would congregate and spend countless hours in the park because of the lack of something positive to do. To address this issue, Genesis founders and volunteers formed a community cleanup crew and recruited youth volunteers to assist in the “beautification” of the area. The youth participation in the project not only diminished some of the idle time spent in the park but, more importantly, the youth made a difference and took pride in their contribution to transforming their neighborhoods into better places to live.
The SDA concept and the use of volunteers have developed into an inclusive, comprehensive process that is now recognized and supported by entities that include the Compton Park District, Community Block Clubs, local schools, churches, community CBO, and local businesses and retailers. This support has made Genesis’s ability to implement community-based annual events possible. Current events include distributing holiday meals and food baskets during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, hosting a community Christmas Toy Giveaway, and a Back to School on Wheels event for pre-kindergarten to high school students.
Genesis’ grassroots approach continues to be strengthened by the quantity and quality of donated items and monetary gifts, the reliability and dedication of an increased number of community volunteers, and the response and gratitude demonstrated by the families, youth, and individuals who benefit from the assistance provided.
This generous leveraged support and assistance has broadened Genesis’ ability to address basic needs within a community and to interface and provide referrals to relevant community resources. Each has the specialized expertise in addressing diverse barriers that block the pathway to success, self-reliance, and a better quality of life.
One such barrier is literacy. To address this prevalent issue among youth, Genesis, in 2011, enhanced its mission to include a Youth Educational component with an emphasis on educational literacy and basic skills remediation. The effort is supported by a MusIQ Club concept with a primary emphasis on learning “the language of music’, a vital component of a comprehensive educational process. Music is a very powerful stimulus to learning, and numerous studies and observations by educational professionals support and validate the fact that music can and does:
- Stimulate important areas of the brain that help to develop better memory and accelerate the rate of learning
- It helps learn other subjects and stimulates the development of complex brain functions needed in math, science, and cognitive skills.
- Improve SAT and reading proficiency scores, IQ levels, and overall GPA
Participating in an after or before-school MusIQ Club, elementary, middle, and high school students experience an enriched group music experience that is individualized and self-paced. The MusIQ Club program is designed to meet or exceed national standards at every grade level. An age-appropriate curriculum meets the Fine Arts requirements of the State of California Department of Education and those of the California State College system. With the help and oversight of a qualified teacher, students learn to read music, play the piano with both hands and understand concepts integral to improvising music. This is accomplished using 21st-century technology at workstations equipped with computers, keyboards, and interactive software. Students’ progress is measured and evaluated based on individualized program objectives, which include theory and performance, every ten weeks.
Genesis’ MusIQ Club participation can significantly improve students’ Math, Science, and Reading learning rates. Further, students involved in this interactive music experience develop an improved attitude toward learning, increased self-discipline and self-confidence, and an increased interest in staying in school. In the words of renowned educator and Philosopher Paulo Freire, “The power of literacy lies not only in the ability to read and write but rather in an individual’s capacity to put those skills to work in shaping the course of his or her own life.”
In addition to an established literacy emphasis, Genesis is committed to implementing programs and activities promoting healthy youth development and acquiring positive life skills that increase independence. Current age-appropriate seasonal events include:
- The Martin Luther King Jr. 5K, in collaboration with Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM)
- Youth Recognition Day honors youth who have positively contributed to their community and is hosted by the City of Compton.
- Support groups and community donations fund the Washington D.C. Youth Tour.
- Genesis’ Back to School on Wheels event will be held in collaboration with Compton’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Genesis’ motto is Begin, Believe, Achieve”. The core mantra fuels our dedication to maintaining and expanding our community service activities for those seeking a better life in the City of Compton and neighboring communities.
