Congregation discovers simple ways to change children's lives
11/24/2003 News media contact: Tim Tanton · (615) 742-5470 · Nashville, Tenn.
NOTE: Photos are available. For related coverage, see UMNS story #567.
By Tim Tanton*
The
children’s council at Vermont Hills United Methodist Church built
relationships between the congregation and the children of a nearby
school in Portland, Ore. Council members include (from left) Bob and
Virginia Ewing; Tani Draper; the Rev. Chuck Cooper; and Barbara Wagner. A
UMNS photo by Tim Tanton. Photo number 03-489, Accompanies UMNS #570,
11/24/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS) - The folks at Vermont Hills United Methodist Church made a startling discovery a few years ago.
They
learned that their middle- to upper-income neighborhood was home to the
second-largest federal housing project in the district. Moreover, 40
percent of the children at Hayhurst Elementary School, a short walk from
the church, lived near or under the poverty line.
"There is a real contrast between the haves and the have-nots," says Tani Draper, lay leader and children's council chairperson.
The discovery, she says, was a "shock to us."
The
council, formed four years ago in response to the Bishops' Initiative
on Children and Poverty, had been assessing needs in the community.
Draper and other council members visited the school of about 210
students, and learned that 4 out of 10 children qualified for the free
or reduced lunch program.
Vermont Hills mobilized its members,
who began paying for school supplies and clothes, helping with field
trips, spending time reading with the children and volunteering as
"lunch buddies" to provide companionship once a week.
Members Bob
and Virginia Ewing became such good buddies with a little girl and her
brother that the kids invited the couple to their mother's wedding as
their only guests.
Working with the children has been a powerful
experience for the Ewings. "I feel like this is very close to being the
one thing that vindicates me for being alive," Bob Ewing says.
When
the school counselor reported that a child needed shoes, the church
provided a new pair the same day. On another occasion, the church
quickly replaced a winter coat stolen from a child. "Those are powerful
things to do," Draper says.
"The impact of the church on Hayhurst
families is significant," says Ray Lapp, counselor at Hayhurst. "In the
current time, (when) budgets are cut back, Vermont Hills has stepped up
to fill a need that would otherwise have been unmet."
For
example, for the last two years, Vermont Hills has paid $200 or $300 to
ensure that the school can provide Scholastic News, a weekly reading
resource, to all students. The church makes up the shortfall due to
low-income families being unable to pay their share, Lapp says.
He
describes how the church enabled a boy to play tee ball by paying his
fee and providing a baseball glove. "As a result, the boy was able to
play ball on a 'real team' with uniforms and baseball caps for the first
time," Lapp says. "The impact was huge. This formerly isolated child
gained new friends and learned social skills."
Many of the kids
live with foster families and must be ready to pack their belongings
into a suitcase when it's time to move. The suitcases wear out from
repeated use, so Vermont Hills worked with the American Automobile
Association to collect luggage that was passed on to a local foster
parents' association.
The Vermont Hills members are sensitive to
the need for protecting the children's privacy and dignity. That means
providing good-quality supplies to the children - items that don't stand
out as second-hand giveaways.
"It's a change of attitude in the
church," says the Rev. Chuck Cooper, pastor. In the past, members would
give away what they no longer wanted, but now they donate new or even
handmade items, such as winter hats and scarves knit for the children.
The
church is low key about its help. It doesn't attach its name to the
work it does nor use its outreach as a way to get new members.
Vermont
Hills' ministry to children didn't add to the church's budget. Members
felt motivated to give additional money to help the children, and the
church also secured some grants through the district office. The church
offers a model for how a congregation of any size can transform the
lives of children simply by getting members involved.
Cooper
advises other churches to go to the nearest school, develop a
relationship there and get busy. "We sat here for a long time and we
were getting more and more isolated from the community around us," he
says.
"It's not about inside here," Draper adds. "It's about out there." # # # *Tanton is managing editor for United Methodist News Service.
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