Each year for "God's Work, Our Hands" Sunday, we choose a special service project to do in our community. For our Atonement God’s Work, Our Hands project this year, we decided we wanted to help our local schools. Tedra Kostialik and Paul & Jamie Bartell helped us make contact with schools in our area, and we discovered that there are needs at Cypress Creek High School on Old Pasco Road that could use our help.
Pasco County schools have a program called the ABC program – standing for ASSIST, BELIEVE, and CARE. Founded by Thomas Weightman, the goal of the program is to address barriers that may interfere with a child’s educational success. The individual schools throughout the county personalize how that school can address its community’s needs. Most often the program assists with school supplies, clothing, and other student needs that result from economic hardship or family crisis.
We have decided that we at Atonement are going to take a cue from the ABC program and ASSIST, BELIEVE, and CARE for those students in need at Cypress Creek High School, so our project this year is in 3 parts, and we invite you to help with each of those three…
First… ASSIST – we would like to assist Cypress Creek’s ABC program by donating items they need to provide for at risk students. We have a list on the handout, which includes personal hygiene items, snacks, and various school supplies that they’ve told us they have need of.
Second…BELIEVE – we believe in all the young people in our community, especially those with developmental difficulties, and so-called “Special needs.” Cypress Creek has ESE classes for students with special needs, and they also are looking for some particular donations. They teach cooking, among other things, and need supplies for their cooking class – as well as gift cards to Publix or other local stores where they can purchase supplies. These are also listed on the flyer.
Third, we CARE for all these young students, and we want them to know it. You are invited to help us show our care by making encouragement cards, letting them know we are thinking of them, praying for them, caring about them. Teachers and counselors can share cards with students who need a boost of encouragement.
Starting June 9, we will have a box in the entryway for donations to the ABC program or ESE classes, and we’ll have a table set up in the entryway as a “Card Station” for you to stop by and make an encouragement card. We’ll be leaving these up through September 10, but we will be delivering the donations periodically as they come in. Remember, school starts August 10, so we’d like to deliver some of the cards and donations before that date...
We want to thank you for caring for our young people, caring for our schools, and for doing God’s Work with Your Hands.
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