August Community Outreach Update

“If we are focused on the Gospel, living through our God-given identity, into the places He is calling us, then even when the needs get hard or heavy or costly or complicated, the Gospel gives meaning to the struggle and purpose to the process. The sustaining, refreshing power of the Spirit has greater capacity to keep us engaged and encouraged in the depth of the needs.”  (Jason Johnson, author of Everyone Can Do Something, pastor, director of church ministry initiatives for CAFO)


Hello WCC! We hope you’ve had a great summer so far. It’s hard to believe kids are back to school already. With that said, we’ve got some great projects, events, and teams for you to serve in the community. Whether you have a bunch of free time, or very little, we’ve compiled several opportunities in our August edition of the Community Outreach Update…

BACK TO SCHOOL

Pray for the School Year: As the school year has begun, let’s lift up our students, families, and school staff in prayer. Make note of these things and present them to the Lord regularly:

• Safety and Security – pray for a hedge of protection around their buildings, playgrounds, sports fields, and parking lots.
• Interactions – pray that interactions and behaviors between students and between staff are ones that bring growth, friendship, encouragement, and unity. And at just the right time, when things get hard or heavy, that staff and students would know they are seen and loved.
• New Staff and Students – coming into a new environment can be stressful. Pray for new staff and students that come in throughout the year, that strong bonds would be made and feelings of belonging would replace fear.

Join Our School Team Ministry: As WCC continues to develop partnerships that allow it to support local schools and care for vulnerable children, we’re excited to expand our WCC school-support ministry team to make a difference long term. Want to use your gifts and skills to help families and kids through our local schools, consider joining our School Support Team. For additional information on the team, contact: Greg Demopoulos, 574-268-0188, x256.

Provide Basic Hygiene Products: The Eisenhower Elementary School Care Closet is up and running. Thanks to many of you, there has been a great response for assorted clothing and shoes, but many personal hygiene items are still needed. Check out the Eisenhower Care Closet on Facebook for up-to-date needs throughout the year. You can drop off items at the school or in the Outreach Tubs behind the Info Center. Many local schools now have a Care Closet. If your kids go to or you live near a different school, consider checking with them to see how you can help.

Help with Community Life ESL: WCC’s ESL program is getting ready to launch its third year, and you can be part of it. English-speaking volunteers are needed to serve as conversation coaches to help adult Spanish-speaking students develop conversational English to boost their confidence as they integrate into the community. You do not need to be able to speak Spanish to volunteer in this role. Childcare volunteers are also needed to care for elementary-aged children of the adult students in the class. For more details, check here. Contact: Sam Pena, 574-268-0188, x216.

Sign up to Serve through the Care Portal: The CarePortal is an easy-to-use nationwide platform now being utilized in Kosciusko County by local schools, churches, and DCS to help connect vulnerable children and families to caring people wanting to serve their neighbors in crisis. WCC is now part of the coalition team utilizing CarePortal to help meet local needs. Learn more about CarePortal here. Want to sign up and be part of the WCC Team caring for hurting children and families, click here. We’ll get you trained and plugged in. This is a great tool for Growth Groups to serve together and help meet tangible needs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

7th Annual Canal Days Cardboard Boat Regatta: Saturday, August 26, 10am – Be sure to check out the Village at Winona’s Canal Days, for their annual end-of-summer event. The day includes family-friendly activities, craft and art booths, food vendors along the canal, and various kid’s activities. The day ends with the Cardboard Boat Regatta along the canal to help support Fellowship Missions! Check out the Village at Winona for more information about Canal Days, or register your team for the Cardboard Boat Regatta.

Lost Sparrows Trauma Conference: Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September, 9 – WCC is hosting the third annual Lost Sparrows Trauma Conference. The conference, which provides a forum for the community to learn and connect on childhood trauma, is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about trauma and the role it plays in early childhood development, while learning how to help children and adults suffering from those adverse experiences. Foster and adoptive parents, caregivers, counselors, educators, social workers, church staff members, and anyone wanting to learn more about dealing with childhood trauma should check out the conference. WCC has a limited number of scholarships if you would like to attend, but need some financial assistance to participate. Volunteers are also needed to help us and our partners make the conference a success. Sign up to help, here. Contact: Greg Demopoulos, 574-268-0188, x256.

Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce Doubles Pickleball Tournament: Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10 – Check out the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce Doubles Pickleball Tournament benefitting Combined Community Services at the Winona Lake Limitless Park courts. Categories include men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Registration ends September 1, 2023. Register online or contact David Thieme, 941-441-6708.

NEWS AND TEXT ALERTS
As a heads up, when we have urgent needs, we post on the WCC News Blog and often send a quick text message to our Community Outreach Response Team. You can sign up for the text message alerts by texting the word WCCRESPONSE to the number 877-329-2240.