Each patch earned by the club members (ages 4 years-old thru 4th grade) throughout this year will tie directly to the theme. In mid-December, the Club Members learned about the Good Samaritan and earned an award with the same name. As part of earning the award, the club members packed and provided personal care bags to Advent House Ministries in Lansing, Michigan, for distribution. Additionally, club members went grocery shopping with their parents to pick out non-perishable food and other items. They brought their donations to the club meeting and learned their donations would help people that visit the Advent House.
For over 30 years, Advent House has helped people move from struggle to stability. They lead with compassion, dignity and a strong commitment to helping people. They connect individuals and families who are struggling with services and resources, including short- and long-term housing assistance, housing stability case management and food assistance. With a broad range of community partnerships, Advent House offers guidance and solutions that help individuals and families face a broad range of issues.
“We not only want to teach the club members concepts, but we also aim to empower them to help others whenever possible,” said Brenda Roys, club director. “And the Advent House mission aligns with what we wanted to support, by providing care bags and food items,” stated Roys.
For several years, the University Church has had an ongoing relationship with the Advent House by providing non-perishable food and other items. Additionally, for the past few years, the church has been an official drop-off site for donations for an annual food drive the city of East Lansing conducts. Our pastor Jermaine Gayle has cultivated a strong relationship with the East Lansing community. By doing so, he was asked to serve as the Chaplain for both the Police Department and eventually the Fire Department as well.