II. Reaching Out to Children in the Community

Goal: To engage in ministries aimed at improving life for children and for poor people in the neighborhood around the church as well as in nearby communities.

Support public schools.

- Monitor school board elections.
- Establish an active partnership with a nearby school.
- Sponsor a fundraising event for a local public school.
- Recruit members to be volunteers at local schools.
- Provide school supply kits to neighborhood children.
- Enter into partnership with a church that serves a school.

Provide supervised before and/or after school programs or weekend events that include:

- Safe passage (transportation or escorts for walking)
- Nutritious snack or meal.
- Help with homework.
- A faith component.
- Recreation.
- Enrichment experience.
- Art, dance, drama and music programs.
- Computer practice/training.
- English/Spanish classes.

Educate children outside of the classroom.

- Offer a well-publicized Vacation Church School or a summer education program that‟s open to community children.
- Establish mentoring and tutoring programs that seek to nurture children so that they stay out of the juvenile justice system. For more information visit the Children‟s Defense Fund https://www.childrensdefense.org/policy/policy-priorities/youth-justice/

Care for the health of community members.

- Sponsor a Family Health Fair at the church which offers health and dental check-ups, immunizations, and various screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, vision, hearing, etc. Consider sponsoring a blood drive at the same time, so that those who receive have the option of also giving.
- Provide transportation for pregnant women to prenatal classes and health clinics.
- Offer a drug prevention program for neighborhood children and youth, utilizing United Methodist Global Ministries resources on Substance Abuse and Related Violence.

Care for families within the community.

- Develop a community garden on church property that encourages children and their families to plant, cultivate and harvest.
- Provide a “lending closet” of costly items families need for children, such as child safety seats, cribs, high chairs, strollers, musical instruments, coats, etc.
- Develop partnerships between experienced mothers/grandmothers and new and/or single mothers, and between experienced fathers/grandfathers and new and/or single fathers.