What Brings You Peace

Rewind the clock to when you were ten-ish.

You’re absorbing messages around you that shape an understanding of love, safety, belonging. A sense of identity is being defined, foundational for who you are and might become.

There’s potential and development. A glimpse into God-given gifts.

Now, imagine this age as a child in the foster care system.

The tender vulnerability. The ways you’d have to dig way beyond your capacity just to adapt, be strong, seek stability even though it’s not being offered.

Or consider being a kid of a single caretaker who parents from a place of survival and stress. Where is this week’s food gonna come from? What about the abuse lurking in the shadows of the home?

Your core needs, understandably, would take a back seat to the heavier, chaotic conditions around you.

For children like this, we’ve created a space to experience the love, safety, belonging and FUN they might miss in their every day.

Our Homework Club has grown to include ten kids – currently all boys – that gather weekly at our headquarters for snacks, activities, learning help and a Bible lesson.

The club was recently described as “cool” by one of our students, so at the least we’re getting the ‘street cred’ part right. 😆

Last week we talked about peace. The hobby or outlet that brings about calm, joy, or maybe even rest.

Emily sent me the pic above after one of the boys used play dough to make pretend food.

“What brings you peace?”

“Cooking!” he exclaimed.

This young boy has discovered joy in creating, and that adds value to his life!  

Homework Club invites growth through relationships, embodying an openness where no one is the fun police. Because Jesus is at the center of our time, it’s an atmosphere of hope, inspiration and influence on how life can be. 

There’s laughing and fart jokes.

A hint of BO hovering over loud play and games.

It's a time to connect while building messy spaghetti towers. 

There are times of conflict, too, and disruptions or tantrums.

One week we had to walk someone home; another week a club kid stayed with me next door so the rest of the students could concentrate.

What a surprise when that student, freshly disciplined, told me about the Gospel of Jesus. Turns out he’s really listening to the Bible lessons each week, and can repeat what he heard!

Jesus, you bring a fifth grader his peace!

Be a piece of peace for a child at Homework Club

The best part of Homework Club is the regular connection with parents and kids from our block. It is these valuable relationships that will, over time, influence a deeper change in the kids, their families, and ultimately the neighborhood.

It's almost impossible to quantify a relationship and how it impacts a life.

Come volunteer with us to see how exciting it is to be a piece of peace for these kids!

Doesn’t have to be forever… Volunteer once, a few times, or become a regular 😌