08/21/2014

Faith Haven Ministry Featured in Dayton Daily News--Partnership Between North Riverdale and Peace Continues to Bear Fruit

Urban-suburban church partnership benefits neighborhood
By Virginia Burroughs, Contributing Writer Dayton Daily News

After a few unsuccessful years in an Old North Dayton neighborhood, Peace Lutheran Church in Beavercreek moved its Faith Haven outreach program to North Riverdale Lutheran Church in Dayton’s North Riverdale neighborhood last year, where it has been met with tremendous success.

“They approached us at the same time we were looking for another way to serve our neighborhood,” said North Riverdale Lutheran Church pastor Monte Stevens. “They were searching for an urban congregation to work with, and it sounded like a great match.”

The Faith Haven program offers a Wednesday afterschool program during the school year, with a monthly dinner for the children’s families. This summer, they saw the same neighborhood children — along with some of their members’ children – attend Vacation Bible School.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the program at North Riverdale,” said program director Mary Anne Marshall of Peace Lutheran. “We started last September and 19 kids showed up at our first Wednesday session. By the end of the school year, we had 30 to 35 every week.”

Each church provides 18 committed volunteers to help with the program, and, although both churches contribute financially, “we can do a little more because we’re a suburban congregation,” said Marshall.

Wednesday classes may include lessons in cooking, science, art, or computers, “and we feed the kids each week. We’ve also uncovered other issues in the neighborhood and help families with emergency needs like clothing, furniture, and school supplies,” Marshall said.

According to Stevens, “We’ve discovered food insecurities among the families, so start every class with a healthy snack, invite the kids’ families in for a meal each month, and send backpacks full of foodstuffs home with the kids several times a year, usually over school vacations when they won’t have as much food.”

Although the program was initially set up for children age 4 through sixth grade, it now allows students through the eighth grade.

Currently, both churches are collecting school supplies to be distributed among the children at this year’s first weekly Faith Haven program on Sept. 3. Needed items – in addition to the usual pencils, pens, crayons, notepads, paper, folders, scissors — are new or gently used book bags, hand sanitizers, tissues, and paper towels.

“We’re also working with Shoes for the Shoeless to help children get new shoes for the school year,” said Marshall. “And we’re always looking for healthy snacks to take to school.”

Readers wanting to contribute school supplies or other program donations can contact North Riverdale Church at 937-275-5750, or drop off items at the church, located at 45 Kurtz Ave. one block west of N. Main St. by Sandalwood Park.
“This program has allowed us to build relationships with families in our neighborhood that we hadn’t been able to serve before,” Stevens said.

As many of you may remember, this ministry was featured during Bishop Dillahunt's presentation at the 2014 Synod Assembly. Faith Haven started right after the 2013 'God's Work, Our Hands' Day of Service and continues to grow. What will your congregation plant this year for 'God's Work, Our Hands' Sunday Day of Service, September 7?