{written by Sarabeth Jones}
A big change has happened this summer at FN; we’ve started a summer feeding program. If you’ve been around much lately, you’ve probably heard of it – but maybe you (like me) don’t really know what is going on. I visited Good Eats a couple of times this week just to see what it’s all about.
Volunteers come at 8:45 am and meet with Andrew Whitley. Andrew is running the program this summer, and like Good Eats, he’s also pretty new to Fellowship North. We’ll get to know him a little better in our next blog post. The group goes over the day briefly and then gets ready to greet the kids at 9. Breakfast is served from 9-10, and kids come in during that hour. Anyone 18 or younger is welcome to participate. There are about 30-40 kids everyday.
At 10, everyone gathers for a very short ‘talk’ – a message about something as simple as the power of our words, for example. Then the rest of the morning is spent in various ways: some might play sports outside, while others could work on crafts inside. Earlier this week, a fierce round of Monopoly was in session. Today the kids were in teams playing a large group game: huddled in circles, they yelled out suggestions, trying to come up with the most original and longest list of answers to each question. At noon, lunch is served, the kids leave and the volunteers meet again with Andrew, this time to talk through what is working and what isn’t. This is very much a “learn as you go” program – what doesn’t work today will be different tomorrow.
So, that’s what’s going on at Good Eats. But you know what else is going on? Kids of all ages are eating, smiling, talking, playing. They are hugged and listened to. Whether they come to our buildings on Sundays or not, they seem at home in the rooms and hallways. This new thing at Fellowship North – it’s a good thing.
We’d love for you to be a part of Good Eats. You can volunteer to help any day of the week from 8:45 am – 1:00 pm (just email Andrew), or you can donate games, sports equipment, or art supplies by dropping them at the church office. See more pictures from Good Eats on Facebook.
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