Volunteers Making a Difference

On February 25, 2010, Aubrey, a resident at MCH, met her new mentor, Kelsie. A bright and engaging Ph.D. student, Kelsie had completed an internship in the psychology department at MCH and wanted to become a volunteer mentor. Kelsie remembered that some of her most valuable relationships as an adolescent were with people who went out of their way to offer support. As an adult, she wanted to pay it forward by reaching out to young people.

When they’re together, Aubrey and Kelsie enjoy baking, going out to eat and rock climbing. Some of their most valuable moments are spent talking about the joys and struggles in their lives. As they recently celebrated their first year as friends, they reflected fondly on their experiences. Both feel like they’ve known each other longer because their relationship is so strong, and they’re eager to see what the next year will bring. As their relationship continues to grow, the hope is that Kelsie will impact Aubrey as much as Aubrey impacts her.

MCH offers volunteer opportunities that enable adult role models to build positive, healthy relationships with youth in residential care. The Home’s greatest volunteer need is one-on-one mentors like Kelsie. Mentors build meaningful relationships with youth through weekly visits. These visits can involve tutoring, attending sporting events, participating in local social or cultural events, or spending time together on an activity or project of mutual interest. Nearly thirty youth living in MCH’s residential programs are waiting for a mentor. Volunteer opportunities are also available in religious education, recreation and athletics.

The Volunteer Services Department wants to use your strengths and skills to enrich the lives of the youth at the Home. To learn more about the volunteer program at Methodist Children’s Home, please contact: Katie Wolfe, Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 254.755.4694 or kwolfe@mchwaco.org.

Student invited to play in the FCA Super Centex Victory Bowl

Congratulations to Christian! Christian has been selected to play in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Super Centex Victory Bowl in June at Floyd Casey Stadium, Waco, Texas.

The FCA Super Centex Victory Bowl serves as a major outreach, service and fundraising event for the Heart of Texas FCA ministry. The youth playing in the Victory Bowl were nominated by their coaches then selected by the Victory Bowl coaching staff. They are all seniors from the twelve-county area that the Heart of Texas FCA covers.

Christian was nominated by Coach Kevin Henry, MCH Athletic Director.

“Christian is respectful on and off the field, “Henry said. “He leads by example as the quarterback for our six man football team. This was everyone’s first year playing six man football and Christian often kept the team focused and in control.”



Here are some photos of Christian in action this past football season.

MCH Valentine's Date Night

The MCH recreation department sponsored a Valentine's Date Night, which included a dinner and dessert, on Friday evening, February 11. The Johnson Student Center was decorated with balloons, streamers and floral centerpieces to create a fun atmosphere for sweethearts and friends. After dinner, our youth had the opportunity to enjoy coffee, cocoa and cheesecake.

MCH residents appreciate the efforts of staff members who work with youth to plan social activities and celebrations throughout the year.

Snow!

If you want to see more snow pictures from our Waco campus, click here to visit our Facebook page photo album. Happy Snow Day!

MCH youth enjoy a cultural food and dance night at Jubilee Theatre

Eleven young ladies from Methodist Children’s Home had the opportunity to attend an evening of Cultural Food and Dance at the Jubilee Theater in Waco on Saturday, January 22. Several of the young ladies who attended the festivities had the chance to re-connect with their Ethiopian roots.

The Cultural Food and Dance night featured seven different cultures that included India, Colombia, Korea, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Turkey, and Ethiopia. The young ladies had the opportunity to sample foods from each of these countries, learn about cultural traditions and customs, and watch beautiful cultural dancing.

Several Ethiopian students from MCH were invited to dance on stage during a traditional Ethiopian song. When talking about their experience later that evening, one young lady said, “We couldn’t stay in our seats when we heard the music and saw the dancing!” Other youth couldn’t stop talking about how good the “clear noodles” from Korea tasted!

This was a rare opportunity for these young ladies to feel in touch with their culture while learning about other cultures.

Thanks go to Erica Reyes-Rosa for the story!