Project Transformation Summer 2023 Program A Success

Jul 18, 2023 | by Rev. Beth Stuyck

Members of FUMC Hurst,

I wanted you to know what the members of FUMC Hurst have been up to make our Summer 2023 program a success:

• Reading Volunteers: In addition to the nine volunteers who read with kiddos at FUMC Bedford over two weeks in June, Mary Fridge was a reading volunteer for a week at New Riverside (she happened to be there on the day the Bishop was a Reading Volunteer). Natalie Neugent will be volunteering at Clarke Elementary School site next week.
• Friday Experience: Steve and Cindy Harding hosted us for team-building through Pickleball and provided lunch for the interns. Hannah Barlow (who was a PT intern for the North Texas chapter) and Kathy Lyda were part of an educators panel. We have 8 interns who are education majors, and so they really appreciated the opportunity to ask questions of people who are doing the jobs they aspire to have.
• Intern Meals: First Hurst provided 9 dinners for our 14 Summer 2023 interns. Dinner volunteers were Ann Thompson, Mary Fridge, Kathleen Gilbert, Beverly Roberts, Cathy Kazyaka, Rita Lindbom, Nancy Box, Aurora Rodriguez, and Jackie and Greg Harper.
• Family Fun Night: Hurst’s UWF contributed food and decorations to the FFNs at New Riverside and FUMC Bedford. One of the things the interns at New Riverside wanted to do was send the kiddos home with school supplies for the coming school year. Our UWF contributed pencils, crayons, glue, ruler, and notebooks. They also sent volunteers to both FFNs – Kathleen Gilbert, Mary Fridge, Sharon Goldstein, Jay and Ann Thompson and Fannette Welton. Others making contributions to FFN: Kevin Campbell, Cindy Harding, Natalie Neugent and Cathy Kazyaka. Lastly, John and Melinda Bolles are providing the meal (sliders and mac & cheese) for the FFN at George C. Clarke Elementary School.
• Other: Hannah Barlow has volunteered to work with the Reading Coordinator at George C. Clarke to conduct end-of-program reading assessments for the children at that site. For the past year, Rita Lindbom and Cindy Brown-Harding have been regular library volunteers (occasionally bring a friend or two with them), helping organize thousands of donated books. Sarah Boyette brought a team of 10 senior adults to work in the library this past spring. A member of FUMC Hurst donated 130 signed first edition books to us, and we have a committee comprised of Kelly Fulghum, Debe Rogers, Margaret Coleman, Tricia Goode and Amanda Morrissey helping me come up with a plan to not only sell these books but to share PT’s story with the folks that buy the books. Oh, and speaking of books, the following people donated curriculum books from our Amazon wishlist: Beverly Roberts, Sharon Goldstein, Catherine Hollis, Diane Epperson, Kathleen Gilbert, Sherry Herrington, Mary Fridge, Karen Murphy, Diane Findley, Melissa Lebahn, and the Arellano family.

I hope I haven’t overlooked anyone – nonetheless this is quite an impressive list. FUMC Hurst is the only congregation who has supported all three of our sites this summer.

We are so blessed to have such an awesome Partner Church!!

Grace and peace,
Rev. Beth Stuyck
Senior Manager For Grants And Volunteer Engagement