Help Ensure That No Child Goes Hungry This Summer, Provide Job Opportunity

Apr 26, 2016 | UA News

Article written by Urban Alliance staff.

In Connecticut, more than 144,000 children rely on free school meals. And in the summer it is no different.

As a Community Renewal Team (CRT) Summer Meals Program site, organizations in Hartford and East Hartford have a unique opportunity to address hunger by offering free meals (provided by CRT at no cost) to children and youth throughout the summer.

Through Next Generation, Urban Alliance is offering a $300 stipend to organizations in the Urban Alliance network who would like to provide an opportunity for a teen or young adult to build leadership and employment skills as they engage with children as a Summer Meals Program Assistant at your organization.

Summer Meals Assistant Roles and Responsibilities:

The individual you identify will work at least two hours each week for a total of ten weeks from late-June through mid-August. They will work under the supervision of your Summer Meals Coordinator.

Ideal candidates for this position are teens or young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are already engaged at your organization and are responsible, reliable and enjoy working with children.

If your organization would like to be a CRT Summer Meals Program site, would like to host a Summer Meals Assistant, or if you have questions about participating in Next Generation, contact Rosaicela Rodriguez, Urban Alliance’s Director of Implementation, Children & Youth Initiatives, at rosaicela.rodriguez@urbanalliance.com or 860.986.6052.

The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. “That’s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, “ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, “If you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. We’re a small church … we can’t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.”

Pastor Frank Termine’s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

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