Alton Park CommUNITY Market Update:

October 1st, 2020

Fresh Produce and Fellowship

Hi, I’m Everett, the Market Manager for the Bethlehem Center. Our Alton Park CommUNITY Market has had a great year so far! We have great nutritional produce to choose from this month: Flash and Georgia collard greens, okra, cabbage, and soon we’ll have carrots! With all these great veggies, there are so many different healthy dishes you can create! Other great items sold at the market are Kim’s Hot Fish, masks, and my Sauce Me BBQ sauce.

For me, the market is a great opportunity to connect with others in the community. It provides a chance to talk with others and to see people face to face. This sort of fellowship is so important, not just for me as an individual, but to further the mission of the Beth. The Market’s presence in the Alton park community is a blessing that others need during a time like this. Not just because of the fresh vegetables, but also in a community aspect. We want to help others anyway we can, and provide relief during COVID-19. The market has been a great platform to do so.

Stop by the market every Saturday from 11am-1pm at the Bethlehem Center! We’d love to see you! For more info you can follow us on Instagram (@apcommunitymarket) and Facebook (Alton Park Community Market)!

Everett Parker

Everett is our Market Manager here at the Bethlehem Center. Before being hired as a Beth employee, Everett was very involved and is a graduate of our Faith & Finances class. He is known and loved by our staff and community for his work ethic and sense of humor. He recently started his own business, Sauce Me BBQ Sauce, which is now available at the Alton Park CommUNITY Market!

Posted by The Beth | Topic: Community

Pursuing Kids in the Midst of COVID-19

September 1st, 2020

Read to Lead Academy: Weekly Check-Ins

After shutting down our after school program in March and then our summer program in July due to COVID-19 safety concerns, our Read to Lead staff has been incredibly creative in finding ways to stay connected with our students and their families. In July, we started weekly face to face check-ins with our kiddos. This keeps us engaged with our kids and allows us to make sure families have access to all the resources they need. Here’s a few words from staff member, Emily on her visit with first grader, Tasha:

“I arrived at Tasha’s house right when she got out of school. She had so much energy! The past two times I’ve been over there, she has been so excited because she gets lonely being the only kid in her house. This time, I brought Kool-aid slushies for us to enjoy together. She made fun of my blue mouth after we ate them, but when I pointed out how red hers was, she insisted on getting a picture. We talked a lot about school, and how she was excited to learn about “first grade stuff.” She talked so much about how much she missed the Bethlehem Center too! For the rest of the time I was there we played hide and seek and did some cartwheels in the yard. It was an amazing day!”

The aspect of our programming that we as a staff have truly missed the most since the pandemic began has been the kids: their smiles, their stories, their hugs, and their laughter. These weekly check-ins have given us a small piece of that back while allowing us to still pour into our students and stay updated on their lives throughout this trying time.

Rachel DeVore

Rachel is our Director of Education here at the Bethlehem Center. She is known for her consistent hard work and dedication to the mission, kids, and her fellow staff members of the Bethlehem Center. To get into contact with Rachel or find out more about the Read To Lead Academy at the Bethlehem Center email her at: [email protected]

Posted by The Beth | Topic: Community

Community Highlight: Ms. Ernestine

June 25th, 2020

Ms. Ernestine

Ms. Ernestine (in the blue shirt) is a tech-savvy senior who has been a really powerful advocate for community needs. Unfortunately, she suffers from some chronic health conditions that have put her at high risk during COVID-19. When we called Ms. Ernestine, she agreed to have a delivery sent to her home. The following week, she thanked us for the items and insisted on giving us a small gift. It was a thank you card with two beautiful magnetic flower pens that she had made herself. Words cannot express how overjoyed we were to receive them.

The prayers and support of seniors like Ms. Ernestine encourage us to keep loving and serving those around us. We pray that our trust in God and our faithful service will encourage our community to walk with HOPE on this journey called COVID-19, because through their words and prayers, our community has done the same for us.

We thank our donors and volunteers for all you do! You each have helped make our COVID-19 relief efforts possible and have helped us continue serving community members like Ms. Ernestine.

Posted by The Beth

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Alton Park CommUNITY Market Update:

Pursuing Kids in the Midst of COVID-19

Rachel DeVore

Community Highlight: Ms. Ernestine

Ms. Ernestine

Happy New Year!