Are You Willing To Partner?

Recently, a group of individuals from Northway Church in Dallas, TX, visited an elementary school located just a few blocks away from their front doors. The people at Northway felt compelled to be more active in their surrounding community. They contacted the school and asked them what immediate needs they had that the congregation could perhaps fill. On Friday prior to Valentine’s Day, the school had an early student dismissal with mandatory meetings following for teachers and school staff that went on well into the late afternoon. The employees would not have the opportunity to leave the school for lunch and the cafeteria was not serving lunches due to the early dismissal. That meant that the staff of the local school would not be able to eat unless each person prepared their own lunches for the day.

Aaahhh…An opportunity.

Northway took it upon them selves to make lunches for the entire school staff. They delivered the lunches on Friday morning and had the opportunity to meet with the administration while there. In that meeting members of Northway asked what they could do to help the school. The church does not have a large outreach budget by any means. But what they do have is a small congregation that desires to serve others and to give of themselves. Planting roots in the community and looking for ways to reach across cultural barriers is a calling that the Northway members feel passionately about.

The school was of course delighted by the efforts of a local church reaching out to them. Surprisingly, the school mentioned a great number of areas that the church family could be a part of. The needs that the school had were for PTA participation, Saturday school assistance, and for people to volunteer time for mentoring and tutoring. The greatest need that the principal stated could use help with was a reading program. Many schools across the nation are desperately in need of anyone, communities of faith, or individuals that are willing to spend time with young students helping them to develop their communication and reading skills. The principal stated that he had asked this of many groups throughout the year. And since the beginning of the school year that started at the onset of September, not one person or group has come forward to spend time with a child and listen to them read. Fifteen minutes is the total time needed to fulfill this request.

Something that is unique to this situation is that the Northway members are looking to spend time with a school that has a 95% Hispanic attendance. Northway, while being mostly Anglo, feels the need to make a difference here. The members, most of which do not speak any languages other than English, realize that their years of life experience as businessmen, teachers, doctors, lawyers, construction workers, secretaries, and homemakers, have a valuable gift to give…Their time.

“With the economy being the way it is today, all that these children at this school know is school…Wal-Mart…Fiesta…And home. They do not have the opportunity to experience anything else and they are hungry to” is what the principal told the group. If you can make a difference in young lives that are eager for the development of relationships, and in the process help the community by assisting the local school district, and the opportunity is open for you…Take it. Let others see your willingness to help and your heart to care. Check with your local school district for opportunities to serve.