Hey Church, here are the details of the opportunities to serve our city at Travis Elementary school:
“Hello. My name is John McGlothlin, and my wife and I oversee River Stone’s for the city mission work. The most important part of that work right now is happening at Travis Elementary. There are four ongoing opporunities:
(1) Tutoring: on every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:45 to 4:15 and Saturdays from 9:00 to 11:00, except the week of Spring Break and Easter (4 to 8 volunteers each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). The 3rd through 5th grade kids need help with math and reading. The work is one on one with the children under the direction of the instructors. Travis has asked for any adult volunteers who are proficient at math and reading, well at least to a 5th grade level. If you are interested, please give me a call because we need to have you fill out a volunteer form for the district to run a criminal background check on you since this is one on one work with the kids. I also need to know in advance what days you are willing to tutor, because we are the most help at Travis when they have an accurate count on what help they will have on what days. It doesn’t mean people cannot come on a whim, but it means that is much less helpful to the teachers.
(2) Good News Club: on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:15, starting Feb. 1 till May 16 except the week of Spring Break (6-8 volunteers each Wednesday). Good News Club is a 1 hour Bible teaching time, much like a VBS format — Bible story, snack, music, games for students between k-5th grade. We need helpers with crowd control, and also to be team leaders in small groups. No advanced preparation is necessary, unless you would like to help teach the lesson or memory verse. It is a great chance to love on students. This is a bible study designed for kids to experience the gospel, feel some love and learn a bible lesson. It is held in the Travis Music Room. If you are interested in volunteering for Good News Club contact Ryan Damron. (scroll down for contact info)
(3) Saturday Lunches: every Saturday from 10:00 to 11:30 from now until April 22nd with the exception of Spring Break and Easter weekends (12-18 volunteers each week). Travis has school on Saturdays throughout the Spring, and it is required attendance for some kids. The school feeds the kids a modest breakfast from 8:00 to 8:30, teaches them from 8:30 to 11:30 and then used to send them home with empty stomachs. You usually only get invited to Saturday School if you are behind in class but the principal said some of them ask to come just so they can eat. Either way, these kids are from families to whom we are called. We want to make Saturday School a party and celebrate that they came, while providing the kids some nutrition by sending them home with a sack lunch. That means at least 140 sack lunches need to be packed and distributed each Saturday morning. Travis is allowing us to use their cafeteria from 10:00 to 11:30 for the work. After packing the lunches, you get to hand sacks to kids — as we do for them, we do for Him. Unfortunately, the person who hands them lunch on Saturdays might be one of the more reliable people in their lives, and if so, you might be the picture they need of the gospel. Or maybe we just feed hungry kids — that is a win in and of itself.
(4) Supplies and Clothes: ongoing need. The school keeps a room stocked with school supplies, coats and shoes for kids who cannot afford to buy them. The principal and the parent liaison stand in the hall and spot kids with shoes which are no longer doing the trick and share what they have to share with the kids. There is no funding for these things. We are accepting donations of pencils, glue sticks, children’s coats and shoes. We ask that everything that is donated be in good condition, but it doesn’t have to be new. Bring on Sunday and put them in the black bin.
As you can see, it is going to take all of us to do the work available at Travis. We are interested in which of these four areas feels like a good fit for you, so we know where to plug you in. Pray on it and give me a call or email at your convenience or give Ryan a call ro email directly for Good News Club.”
John’s #: 512-757-5592
John’s Email: forthecity@river-stone.org
Ryan’s #: 512-557-4710
Ryan’s Email: ryan@river-stone.org
