The start of a new school year can be expensive for families on a budget. School supplies will be provided to students at partner schools and kids in foster care. Uniforms will also be provided to students who successfully complete Grace UMC's summer academic program.

Help these families by providing school supplies and/or uniforms for their elementary-aged students.  Beginning July 21, you'll be able to pick up a bag and list in from the Mission Engagement Space in the Narthex in Building A and in the Foundry Commons in Building B. Purchased items should be returned by August 5.

Want to help process donations? Sign up HERE! Ages 7+ are welcome to join us in the Lower Level Mission Space of Building A at Leawood Campus. Children aged 7-12 should be accompanied by an adult. This service opportunity requires some walking, bending, and lifting of up to 20 lbs, and volunteers should wear comfortable clothing during their shift.

Process School Supplies: Space is limited to 8 per session 

Friday, July 26, 10am-noon

Monday, July 29, 1-3pm

Wednesday, July 31, 1-3pm

Friday, August 2, 10am-noon

Monday, August 5, 9-11:00am

Monday, August 5, 1-3pm

Tuesday, August 6, 9-11am

Wednesday, August 7, 9-11am

Process School Uniforms: Space is limited to 4 per session

Monday, July 29, 1-3pm

Wednesday, July 31, 1-3pm

Friday, August 2, 1-3pm

Monday, August 5, 10am-noon

Monday, August 5, 1-3pm

Tuesday, August 6, 10am-noon

For questions about school supplies, please contact Barbara Patterson: b.l.patterson@sbcglobal.net and for uniforms, Christi Clark: kufam21@gmail.com

Quindaro Elementary is looking for 12 volunteers to help sort and distribute donated school supplies to the teacher's classrooms.  Volunteers will sort from 9:30am - noon. Please contact Ginny Beene with any questions or to register.

Join us to explore the many ways you can be involved in the Partner Schools' Ministry.  Learn more about opportunities like the bookmobile, tutoring, sorting books onsite with a team, one-time serving opportunities and much more.  Registration is recommended to help us prepare materials.

Tutor with children grades K-6 at one of Resurrection's partner school locations helping students improve their reading and math skills.

Serve Opportunities

Tutor or Reading Buddy: Assist students with reading skills, letter recognition and/or letter sounds.  Requires weekly commitment.

Classroom Assistant: Assist teachers in classrooms and work with individuals or small groups of children; help the teacher with other needed tasks. Requires weekly commitment.

Lunch Buddies: Be a mentor and build self confidence with children.  Enjoy lunch with a student each week while reading, visiting, or working on flashcards.

Ages: Volunteers must be 18 years and older.

Training Requirements: In order to provide a safe environment for all children, background checks and specialized training will be required prior to serving as a tutor. Please go to the Urban Volunteer Page for training dates and to register. Safe Gatherings certification is also required for those working in the schools. If you are not already Safe Gatherings certified (certification lasts four years) you will receive tips to help you quickly complete the required online training when you attend Urban Volunteer training.

Additionally, if you will be volunteering in one of the Kansas City Missouri schools (Troost, JA Rogers, or Wheatley Elementary) you must complete this KCMO Volunteer Application.

If you are volunteering in one of the KCK schools (Welborn or Quindaro) please complete this KCK Volunteer Application.

Our Backpacks for Hunger program is kicking off for the 2018-2019 school year.

During the school year our  Backpacks for Hunger program helps to provide supplemental food for children in our six partner schools who are at risk for weekend hunger. Each week it takes nearly 140 volunteers to pack and transport the bags of supplemental food for approximately 1,500 children.  Explore the many ways you can help.

• Backpack Angel:  Resurrection’s Backpacks for Hunger Ministry helps alleviate this issue by providing nutritious, child-friendly food to over 1,500 students a week. Students who participate in the program receive a bag with items such as cereal, a box of shelf stable milk, cup of fruit, can of soup and other non-perishable food that is easily prepared. You can provide food for a student for a year for $210, or $6/week. For more information contact Roberta Lyle at roberta.lyle@cor.org.

• Backpack Fills: Every Wednesday 4:00-5:15 pm pack bags and tubs for weekly school delivery.  From time to time schedules may change based on the school calendar.  Please register here to participate in one of our backpack fills.  If you are able please bring along a donation of 16oz non-glass jars of peanut butter!  It would be greatly appreciated! Kids look forward to receiving a jar of peanut butter on longer breaks and your donation helps to provide these for every student.  Groups of 10 or more please contact Lauri at servebackpacks@cor.org to make arrangements. Children 8 and older may attend with parental supervision. One adult per 8 year old and one must participate per 3 children aged 9-12 please. Youth 13 and older may attend without adult supervision.

• Pre-fill Items Preparation: Every Wednesday 1:30-3:00pm.  Unpack boxes of food items in preparation for the Wednesday fill.  From time to time schedule changes based on school calendar, so click here to contact Ken Meisner to confirm date and so team will know to expect you.

• Deliver Backpacks:  Fridays 8am -12pm to Elementary Schools. Requires heavy lifting and possibly driving the church's box truck. Contact Bruce Gaddis at deliveryteam@cor.org

• Pick-up Empty Tubs:  Tuesdays 7am -1pm from Elementary Schools. Requires moderate lifting and possibly driving the church's box truck. Contact Bruce Gaddis at deliveryteam@cor.org
  

• Do a Peanut Butter Drive:  Kids look forward to receiving a jar of peanut butter for hearty, quick meals over longer school breaks.  Collect donations of non-glass, 16 oz containers of peanut butter.  This is a great way to support this ministry and help struggling families at times when kids don’t have access to school meals.  Donations can be dropped off in the donation area of building A (just inside the SW doors).  Please be sure to place these items in the EDUCATION bin and label them BACKPACKS.

•  Pray for the Children:  Each week as they receive the supplemental weekend food.

Complete the volunteer interest form to learn more about the opportunities listed above.

All activities take place at Resurrection Leawood Campus, Building A, Lower Level Mission Space.

Urban Volunteer Training: "What You Don't Know Matters"

Urban volunteer training is required before serving in on-going Kansas City Mission programs. Empowering and educational, this training will provide each participant with a heightened awareness about our neighbors in Kansas City's urban core.

In order to provide a safe environment for all those we serve in urban areas, background checks and specialized trainings will be required prior to serving. Urban Volunteer training occurs monthly. Please check the calendar to sign up for an upcoming training.  Those who need this training may be interested in serving on the bookmobile, as a tutor, or in a classroom at one of our partner schools. Additionally, those individuals who may go into some of our partner agencies in urban areas should plan to take this training.

Upcoming Training Dates

Click here to register for any of the below dates

July 10, 2019 (Wednesday)
August 10, 2019 (Saturday)
September 18, 2019 (Wednesday)
October 12, 2019 (Saturday)
November 6, 2019 (Wednesday)
December 11, 2019 (Wednesday)

Training is held from 9am-noon in Building B, Room B257 of the Leawood campus.

Safe Gatherings certification is also required for those working in the schools or entering people's homes for furnishings pick ups.  If you are not already Safe Gatherings certified (certification lasts four years) you will receive tips to help you quickly complete the required online training when you attend Urban Volunteer training.

Join the team of drivers and volunteers that keep the bookmobile rolling and help kids select books to keep and enjoy.

Drivers typically serve for 4-5 hours during regular business hours and occasionally some evenings and weekends. Serve as often or as little as your schedule allows. Must be 21 years of age with good driving record. Please contact Linda Warne to learn more about driving our bookmobile.

Bookmobile volunteers help  students in need select a "just right" book they can keep and add to their home libraries. Contact Ann Carter to learn how you can serve with the Resurrection Bookmobile.

To get involved, please plan to attend an upcoming Urban Volunteer Training and complete the Safe Gatherings application process. Bookmobile volunteers must be 16 or older. More information & upcoming dates are available on our Urban Volunteer Training page.

Have books to donate? New or gently used books for grades K-6 are in great need. Please consider dropping them off in the donation area just inside the SW doors of the Leawood narthex in the bins marked "education".

Using Psalm 4:8 as the guiding mission, the Beds Program provides new beds to children who don’t have beds of their own in Kansas City urban and suburban communities. Our purpose is to recognize and address the physical need for sleep, thus providing a sense of comfort, rest and peace. Through this coordinated demonstration of God’s love and provision, we will bring smiles and comfort to children and families. Our focus is to serve the children referred by Resurrection's partner school districts and specific mission partners.

Upcoming Serving Opportunities:

Beds Inventory Sorting & Prep:

Volunteers are needed to help us prepare for our fall events by sorting pajamas, packing linen kits and preparing bedtime bags.  This is a great family serving opportunity.  Please contact bedsforeverybody@gmail.com.

Beds Pick-up Party: 

Volunteers are needed to make a child's dream of their very own bed a reality. At the pick up parties children will receive a mattress/frame, pj's, linens and a book!

Dates:

Saturday, March 9 - JA Rogers - This event is full.

Sunday, April 7 1:30-3:30 - Troost - This event is full.

Sunday, April 28 1:30-3:30 - Troost - This event is full.

Ways you can help at the pick up party:

• Provide refreshments for 15-25 people: baked goods, juice, and water.
• Load/unload mattresses
• Distribute linens
• Serve refreshments and assist children and their families as they receive a new bed.
• Donate gently used books or stuffed animals, which are provided to the children receiving beds.

Other Serve Opportunities:

Host a Linen Drive

Host a linen drive in your school, workplace, or neighborhood! New twin linens will be provided to school aged children who receive beds through the Program. If you need more information on the Program for your drive, please contact bedsforeverybody@gmail.com.

Slat Support Construction

Have access to free or inexpensive lumber? We are always looking for lumber to build our slat support structure. This structure is used in place of a box spring.

Sponsor a Bed

Don’t let a Kansas City child sleep on the floor tonight. Consider sponsoring a bed!

• $95 for a new twin bed (mattress, mattress pad, slat support and metal frame)
• $40 for a new set of linens
• $135 for a twin bed and all the linens!

Contact bedsforeverybody@gmail.com with questions.

Please visit the Beds Ministry Donations page for more information about how to support this ministry with donations.

I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down                                                               in safety. -Psalm 4:8

Grace United Community Ministries operates to better the community one person at a time in a holistic approach through basic needs, supportive needs and spiritual needs.

Grace currently offers an after school tutoring program for children Kindergarten through 8th grade.

When: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 3:50-5:45 pm.

Where: Grace United Ministries, 811 Benton Blvd, Kansas City, MO.

Approximately 80-90 students attend four days a week, Monday through Thursday from 3:50 to 5:45 pm.  The program follows the KCMO school calendar.  All students are tested to determine their reading grade level and math proficiency.  A retired district reading specialist coordinates the curriculum and after more than ten years of operating, the program has achieved success in helping these children reach grade level proficiencies.  Adults work one on one with students in a structured environment and normally tutor three students each session.

Passions and skills that are especially helpful for serving in this role are children, education, literacy, care & support, mentoring, underprivileged, justice and mentoring.

If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please contact Linda Anderson at randerson507@gmail.com or (816) 352-3741.

Bless the Teacher is a new ministry opportunity can be done from home.  Volunteers are partnered with a teacher(s) from one of our partner schools.  Bless the Teacher volunteers will write notes of encouragement on a monthly basis.

Contact  Linda Crawford zizicrawford@kc.rr.com, 816.898.5439 OR Aimee Rohleder, srohleder@kc.rr.comfor additional information.