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Friday, December 16, 2011

These T-Shirts Give You Authority in This Town

As I went through my leadership volunteer training, I was handed a First Glance Staff T-shirt. "These t-shirts give you authority in this town," I was told. "When you talk, people will listen."

In September, I became the new Fundraising Director at First Glance(thanks to some master workings on God's part--story to come...). I work on raising support to keep this ministry going--whether that be through grants, events, or individual contributions. Even in just the few months I have been here, I have seen God working.

First Glance's Background: First Glance is a free youth center in the Kenmore Community of Akron, Ohio. It started as a branch off the middle school ministry of The Chapel in Akron. The first event was held in the Kenmore Community, and when more kids than expected showed up, it became evident that these kids were searching for something. The ministry continued to grow until it became its own entity in 2005.

The mission of First Glance: to connect students and this community to Christ and the church through real, loving, and non-threatening avenues.

First Glance ministers to all kinds of kids in the Kenmore and surrounding communities. They now have seven programs to reach different kids including: Rec Nights, where the kids just come and hang out; Teen Moms and Young Moms program, for the new moms in the community; Young Adults, a place where those too old for rec nights can come hang out; Ladies' Night Out, a mentoring and abstinence program; Skateboarding Program, a mentoring program for the growing skateboarding population; and Open Plate, where dinner is provided and then kids are walked over to a local church on Sunday nights.

Many of the kids in the Kenmore Community are considered at-risk, meaning something in their life threatens to hinder them from success. For some of these kids, it is the community and their peers. For some it is their home life. And for some it is simply their economic status. First Glance gives them a place that is safe and encouraging environment. Several of the programs during the week feed the students, and for many of them, it is the only decent meal outside of school they receive.

God is doing something amazing in this community through First Glance, and I would love for you to be a part of that--whether that be through prayer, monetary contributions, or just following this blog. As I continue to write grants and gain more contributions, I will keep you updated on how God is continuing to bless First Glance's Fundraising. But more importantly, as I continue to volunteer, I will share with you the stories of these kids and how God is working in their lives.

If you would like to check out more about First Glance, visit our website at http://firstglance.org/
If you are interested in being added to the prayer list (very short bi-weekly email) or newsletter list (only mailed 4 times a year), please email me at kendra@firstglance.org.
If you would like to become a monthly supporter of First Glance, please check out our support page http://firstglance.org/support.html.