Celebrate Kids! Carnival -- Saturday, October 12

Fall is rolling around, and that means it's time to Celebrate Kids!

 Join SCYM and friends at Maiden Lane Church of God on Saturday, October 12, from 5:00-7:00 pm for all kinds of fun for kids and families. The fun includes:

• Live music from local kids
• Meet a princess or a firefighter
• Learn to make a balloon animal and other fun learning labs
• Food available to purchase a la carte from Bada Bing! Pizzeria, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, Rudy's Smokehouse Bar-B-Q, and more
• Game shows, Cakewalk, Puppets
• Silent auction full of family items, including four one-day passes to Walt Disney World and family pass to Splash Zone
• Preschool playplace
• Face painting
• Mission: Reading celebration

All kids' activities are free! Concessions and silent auction proceeds all help to fund year-round programs for kids like STARS, GirlPower, and Camp Boost.

Come, have fun, and help kids crush the odds with the love of God!

Celebrate Kids! Carnival -- sponsors needed

The annual Celebrate Kids! Carnival is coming on Saturday, October 12! We're inviting the whole community out to Maiden Lane Church of God for all kinds of fun, food, and activities for kids from 5:00-7:00 pm. 

Along with hosting all kinds of fun for the community, Celebrate Kids! raises funds to keep SCYM programs running for more than 300 Springfield kids all year round. The event raises money through a silent auction and food sales, as well as through business and individual sponsorships. This year for the first time, many Springfield kids are also "Reading on a Mission" to help other Springfield kids through SCYM.

A contribution of any amount helps SCYM reach the goal of $10,000 to support ongoing, excellent programs that help Springfield kids grow to become mature, responsible, Christian adults and engage in a local church. 

If you're a business, you can find more information about a sponsorship here. 

If you're an individual, you can give online at this page, or find information about where to send a contribution. 

It takes many, many people being involved to help kids crush the odds with the love of God! We thank God for the many who are already involved, and for those joining for the first time!

Your presence could mean the world to a Springfield kid!

Have you ever thought about getting involved to help a Springfield kid? Or maybe you know someone who's got a heart for kids? 

If so, there's no better time than the fall to get started! 

(These are real STARS kids by the way! No stock photos!)

The STARS Afterschool Program for Springfield elementary-aged kids is ramping up soon. "STARS Ramp-Up Day" for all interested and returning volunteers will be:

Monday, September 9, 4:00 at High Street Nazarene (1625 E. High St.)
OR
Tuesday, September 10, 4:00 at Westside Christian Community (1335 Maiden Lane)

STARS kicks off for the kids on Monday, September 16 for High Street and Tuesday, September 17 for Westside. 

Here are a few "FAQ's" you might have about helping with STARS.

What happens during a day of STARS?
The kids are transported over to STARS and arrive around 3:15. When they arrive, they have either an upbeat chapel/Bible teaching time, or craft and activity time. Next is a 45-minute reading club where students are divided into groups of 4-5 based on grade level for a simple, structured reading activity and board games. Students with homework are encouraged to complete it during this time frame. Finally everyone breaks for meal time and wrap-up. Children are picked up at 5:30.

What does a volunteer do at STARS?
There is a wide range of places to help like meal time or leading worship, but the biggest need is for people who love kids to participate with them in activity times. We try to place 2 leaders in each reading club of 4-5 children. 

What if I can't come the entire time?
You are welcome to come for whatever time you can. We only ask that volunteers stay committed to a regular schedule in order to keep things consistent for the kids. They will ask for you when you're not there!

Will there be training?
At the STARS Ramp-Up Day training next week, Tyler will go over a lot of basic information about what to expect. He also keeps ongoing contact with all of the volunteers to answer questions or "trouble-shoot." We want to make sure STARS is a great experience for the volunteers as well as for the kids! 

Is there an age limit for volunteering?
The lower age limit is middle school age, and there is no upper age limit! In fact, we love having people of all ages volunteer at STARS because it feels like a family. 

Who should I talk to if I have questions?
Give Tyler Worley a call at (937)631-8719, or email him at tylerworley33@gmail.com. He'd be glad to talk with you. 

What if I'm interested in volunteering with older kids?
SCYM also has programs for middle school students starting soon. Jessica Konczak directs the GirlPower program 3 days a week for middle school girls, and her contact info is jkakonczak@gmail.com or (419)564-8564. There are also two programs for Hayward Middle School students (girls and boys) beginning late September. We'd be glad to get you more info at SCYMinistries@gmail.com or at our office, (937) 325-6183.