This being the first newsletter of the New Year made me think of all that is ” new” with Kids Hope. Well, first I am new to this job as Kids Hope Director. That newness has been exciting for me but also a challenge. Because I like to bring new ideas to an already good program, this past 6 months has kept me busy. In addition to me there are others that are new to Kids Hope who include a new area director, 1 new Hope Church mentor, 1 new substitute mentor and 3 new children we are serving at Vanderbilt Academy.
There was some newness when we recently celebrated together at a Christmas Fun Day at Third Church. New this time was the cookies and milk for an after school treat, new games such as Bingo, Giant Jenga and Ball Bag and an after activities pizza dinner that the student’s parents and family were invited to join us. All together we had about 130 people all eating and visiting with each other. This new part of the event was a great way for mentors to get acquainted with the parents of the child they mentor.
Looking ahead there will be some new things happening in the New Year. Later this month we will be holding our annual Appreciation Dinner. We are trying something new by inviting spouses to join us if they would like. We will also introduce some new books and games that have recently been purchased for use during the Kids Hope mentoring hour. In February I will be hosting a new casual get together at the Brew Merchant where I hope our larger Kids Hope Family can come and enjoy some good food, drink and conversation. That same month we will be offering a new information meeting for those parent’s who want to learn more about the opportunity for their child to attend Camp Geneva. We always hope that more kids sign up for camp but know that most parents don’t have a clue on what this camp is so this will give them a chance to ask questions and get more information. We’ll see if this gets more kids to sign up.
Also, make sure to check out the Kids Hope bulletin board in the gathering area by the church office. The bulletin board changes monthly with new information – so make sure to stop by!
That’s a lot of new stuff but to me it makes my job so fun and rewarding. This program is built on a strong foundation, molded by 3 previous directors, and now ready to grow into the New Year. Thank you for your prayers as we journey into 2018.
~Vicki Rumpsa, Kids Hope USA Director