10 of 12 blessings we are celebrating!
A year or so ago, I was told by someone unfamiliar to our ministry to scale back; our goals were too lofty and our plans impossible. Yet… as we have read throughout the last few stories, 3% proficiency in reading, 3% again in math, youth who are just happy to live to the age of 20, over 72% of residents living below poverty level, blight throughout our community. Our work is imperative.
On some level, I suppose they were right. We really couldn't do this alone. Thankfully, we are not alone.
God has blessed us immensely through your support, grant funding, and community-wide ministry partners.
The Landscape Academy is run in partnership with Everybody Eatz
The Literacy program in partnership with Hard Court Hitters
The Radio Patrol has a board led by Mr. George Preston of Mohican Regent Association
Reformation Church supports our spiritual outreach & human care
The 4820LIVE violence intervention team includes these partners as well as:
RAHAM street intervention and youth services
S & PJ Housing Returning Citizens
Neighborhood block clubs and associations.
We also have been blessed by working with Detroit-based LCMS partners:
Pastor Bodley of A2E
Ellie’s House
East Bethlehem
Gifts for All God’s Children
Our favorite moments are those where ministry partners meet and support one another! One of these perfect moments came when the North Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) came down for a day. As they were serving, Anthony stopped by and quickly realized that the job was quite a tall task that required heavy lifting. Within minutes, Landscape Academy students showed up and helped finish the job. It was a joy for all involved. Out of love and gratitude, the LWML group donated the funds to buy a new van for the Landscape Academy. This is a memory we will not soon forget, especially now that we use a newer, safer van in ministry daily!
“You can’t boil the ocean, but you can boil a cup of water.” ~ Bill Woosley of FiveTwo
It takes all of us. With each of us boiling a cup of water, focusing on our collective mission, doing our part, we will eventually see a transformed and vibrant community, where poverty, violence, and low educational standards are a distant memory.
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