Bethany Christian Services, GA Safe Families For Children Program
Mission:
Bethany Christian Services Demonstrates the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by protecting and enhancing the lives of children and families through quality social services.
Purpose of Ministry:
Please see above mission statement. Bethany is called to care and committed to children. Our vision is a world where every child is in a safe and loving family.
Using the OHS grant:
Safe Families for Children (SFFC) is an initiative which in partnership with churches develops and supports a network of volunteer host families that extends the community safety net by providing parents in need a loving sanctuary where they can safely place their children in times of crises. Volunteer Host Safe Families recruited through our church partners are screened and trained, and they serve without financial compensation. As a result, SFFC is a voluntary, non-coercive alternative response to child protective services interventions. This serves as a safety net for families in crisis. A grant sum of $50,000 from One Hundred Shares will serve to expand Bethany’s Safe Families for Children ministry in more churches by recruiting volunteer families for our very vulnerable children. With the addition of volunteer coaches and mentors, Safe Families For Children is moving forward in new ways to create a community of care that will be a safety net for families in crisis.
Volunteer opportunities:
Volunteer Internships; Volunteering to serve during our events for children and families; Volunteer opportunities in the office.
Camp Grace
Mission:
Our mission is to connect with like-minded partners in transforming the lives of impoverished youth. Camp Grace strives to strengthen what our urban partners do by providing a high capacity, high quality overnight camp experience coupled with three additional relevant camp events through the year.
Purpose of Ministry:
Our purpose is to transform the lives of urban at risk youth through the gospel by helping them see alternatives to the cycle of poverty that envelops their communities and discover a life with purpose. This can be accomplished by disrupting the prevalent mindset of hopelessness with a culturally relevant overnight Christian camp experience that encourages them to explore self-worth and self-expression in Christ. The essential element of this process is bringing them to a place where they are safe, experience unconditional love, and most importantly just be kids.
Using the OHS grant:
We have used the $50,000 grant to complete the expansion of the Fort that houses our summer campers. With the additional 13,500 square feet of dormitory space, we can increase the number of kids exposed to the power of the Gospel from a little over 500 to almost 1,500 campers per summer.
Volunteer opportunities:
We welcome volunteers in many capacities such as: service projects, mission teams, fundraising teams, and summer staff. We also host off season retreats that support the ministry to bring campers back to camp.
Summerhill Community Ministries
Mission:
Our mission is to provide a supportive Christian environment for inner-city children to be encouraged, empowered, and equipped with academic, social, and life skills in order for them to reach their full potential in Christ and impact their community and families.
Purpose of Ministry:
Summerhill Community Ministries, Inc. is a community-based, indigenously-led Christian organization which exists to reach Atlanta’s inner city youth and families for Christ. We seek to accomplish our mission by providing opportunities for personal, spiritual, family, and community improvement. By doing so, we encourage, empower, and equip our youth and families to reach their full potential in Christ in order to impact others.
Using the OHS grant:
This grant will make it possible to take our youth programs to the next level in 2014 by providing complete funding to expand one program and implement two new programs. This grant will enable us to 1) implement a new program "Computers for Kids" for all ages of our 180-200 kids, 2) add a new drug program for 30 teens and college-aged kids "Youth Moving Forward", and 3) add the essential part-time staff necessary to expand our afterschool program by 10 students. The grant will also enable us to complete the facility renovations necessary for successful implementation of these programs.
Volunteer opportunities:
After School Program Volunteers – Volunteers help plant seeds into the kids through academic help, spending time talking to them, playing games, reading books, swinging on the swings, playing basketball and football, being a listening ear, and all of the many encouraging things they may be led to do.
Contact person: Justina Dix, justinascm@gmail.com, 404-964-4604