Hand2Hand continues to be a wonderful ministry that ties together several other ministries with Glenwood Elementary School. Hand2Hand is the arm of our ministries that serves the basic needs of the students for food on the weekends.
Our Kids Hope ministry works with one on one mentoring and our BibleClub is able to witness and share the gospel with the students.
Many of the students are part of all three of these ministries.
Then in the summer we are able to help them consider and dream about their future with our Dream Big Program (which ECD helped get launched almost 4 years ago).
We think this is a wholistic approach to ministering with the kids in the schools as we try and minister to several needs (physical, spiritual, social, and developmental).
Hand2hand is the arm that really focuses on providing the kids food so they have the energy to thrive as well as giving some encouragement through little notes in their bags.
This year are program has grown to 25 students by the end of the year. This is modest growth but this fall we also received a 3 year food grant through Hand2hand to encourage programs in Kentwood to grow.
This winter we will send letters to the entire student body with hopes of having the opportunity to serve 100 students by the Spring.
This will require some major changes on our end to handle this increase. We will be moving our food space to a new location in the church (which will require some new shelving, rearranging and possible building adjustment) to accommodate the higher numbers.
Our team is very excited about the opportunity!
What this also does is allows us to expand our packing teams. This is a simple way for families to serve together to pack food bags and begin to grow a heart for service and love.
We are hoping that this small experience will produce a heart that has a lasting impact in our congregation both young and old.
We would ask you continue to pray for our program and the kids we support as we prepare for this upcoming growth and anticipate its impact on our church family.
Submitted by JB Wernlund
Providence CRC
Established Church Ministry Report – Winter 2019
