June 21 marked our first summer Book Bus trip! We had 193 children visit the bus and take home books. A HUGE SUCCESS for our first trip of the summer!
Thanks to the many volunteers who showed up to help including Karen Adams, Bob Argabright, Dan Nichols, Mary York, Ellen Reaves, and Linda Geho!
The weather was hot, but we had no rain. There were lots of students at each of the four stops – Hillside Court, Minefee/Gunn Streets, Afton Apartments, and Jefferson Trace. Each student who borrowed books received a blue drawstring backpack with the Oak Grove READ logo.
The popular title books that Trinity provided this year through the Suhor Graham Grant were a big hit! There were no Captain Underpants, Diary of a Whimpy Kid, Dork Diary, Fancy Nancy, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Henry & Mudge, Squish, or Harry Potter books left at the end of the day.
Dan helped children pick out appropriate books – a hot job on the bus with no air conditioning running! Bob helped the new CIS staff member working on growing parental involvement make contacts in the neighborhoods.
Teachers scoured the streets around each bus stop encouraging students to join the fun.
There were freeze pops, water bottles, gold fish and apples for snacks – and plenty of hugs as students and teachers reunited (after just a few days apart).
Thanks to Trinity United Methodist for purchasing copies of many of our popular title books and to River Road Church, Baptist for purchasing the snacks and water for our outings! We really appreciate the continued support of our Micah church partners.
The R.E.A.D. summer book bus runs on Tuesday nights from 4-7 PM. If you would like to sign up to help one week, please follow the link below & remember to sign up under volunteers: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4da9a92ba2f94-summer1/ The weekly Tuesday Book Bus welcomes volunteers who contact CIS Site Coordinator Mary Valenza Mvalenza@cisofrichmond.org.
Trinity has a number of children who follow Jesus teachings by committing to mission and service. A special group of these kids went one step further by committing to a four day three night Summer Mission Trip. On June 25 nine kids and four adults packed and headed east for mission, service, Bible Study, meal preparation, prayer, friendship and fun. After settling in a Virginia Wesleyan College dorm, we began preparing for the next few days. We chose and wrapped items that would be bingo prizes for our visit to Lydia Roper Home the next day. We also worked on decorating lunch bags for Potter’s House. Our first evening (and each evening to follow) ended with Bible study, prayer and watching part of a movie. Sunday we worshipped at Great Bridge UMC, picnicked and picked up trash in Locks Park, shopped for bulk items for Potter’s House & all the items needed to prepare a meal for Ronald McDonald House and played Bingo with the ladies at Lydia Roper Home. Monday we left early for Nimmo UMC Community garden, where we harvested (squash, zucchini and cucumbers), trimmed, weeded and got rid of bugs & insect eggs. We then headed to Potters House (at VA Beach UMC) with the produce we picked, where we packaged bulk items (rice, diapers, detergent) in small bags so they could be distributed to the homeless and needy that visit there. We spent a great afternoon at the beach, before heading back to VA Wesleyan to prepare a meal for Ronald McDonald House (tacos, guacamole dip, fruit salad and dirt pudding). Tuesday we packed, cleaned up, enjoyed a talent show put on by the kids and loaded for our trip home. On the way we visited and dropped off the meal at Ronald McDonald house in Norfolk and shared a well-deserved pizza meal at YNot. What an amazing trip!!
This Summer several Trinity Groups participated in the Summer Sunshine Project. These groups provided baskets of goodies to several community entities including:
Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad
Henrico Fire Station on Horsepen Road
Community Relations Department of Henrico Police
Ardent Craft Ales (where Trinity hosts Pub Theology each month)
Belmont Pizzeria (where the pizza for Pub Theology is purchased each month)
One participant wrote, “I delivered two grocery bags of goodies to Fire Station No. 10 on Horsepen. The two firefighters I spoke with were very appreciative and said to please share their gratitude with our group.”
“Summer Sunshine” was modeled after the “Lenten Love Project.” During the six weeks of Lent, small groups in our church visited Fire Station 8, the Tuckahoe YMCA, the Tuckahoe Library, the Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, Henrico Doctors Hospital ER, CrossOver Ministries, and the Forest Hill Rescue Squad and Fire Department. The reception and interaction was amazing, and brought much joy to those who participated.
Thank you, Trinity, for your faithful generosity for the Mattaponi Healing Eagle Clinic. For our June 11, 2016 Clinic Day, we collected 12 boxes of assorted OTC medicines and supplies and $1,435 to help pay for their prescription medicines. They wouldn’t have the resources to continue their Clinic without our help. Know that our donations have made a difference in the lives of Native Americans in Virginia through the Clinic. A special thank you goes to Don Pierce for annually coordinating with the Friends of Barnabas which share some of their OTC medicines and supplies with the Clinic. Trinity is truly a community of faithful believers and disciples of Christ.
Trinity’s support of the Mattaponi Healing Eagle Clinic after a Trinity member Janet Sommerville attended the Mini-Christian Mission Encounter held in Trinity in September of 2008. She said, “I watched a cd about the native Americans in VA produced by the VA Conference. I was so moved by how they were treated here in VA that I said to myself I need to do something about them and the Clinic was a good start. So, we started with 2 Sunday school classes then expanded it to be an annual church wide mission initiative to date.”
If you wan to be a part of this ministry, you can volunteer to prepare lunch items for the Clinic volunteers; donate Over The Counter(OTC) medicines and medical supplies; donate money to help pay for their prescriptions (most native Americans do not have health insurance); volunteer to come with us and help in the delivery of the OTC medicines and medical supplies once a year during the summer.
You can donate anytime but we only deliver the goods once a year during the summer, as is usually the time of the year when they most need the help.
Each July Trinity’s UMW Circles take turns hosting a coffee at the Hermitage on Westwood Avenue.
On July 19 Circles 5 & 6 participated bringing 100 bags of cookies, cheese straws, and brownies for purchase ($.25 per bag) by the residents and staff, along with a pound cake and angel food cake, lemonade, and coffee to share with our guests. Friendly visiting is the main purpose.
A Hermitage resident with her new lap quilt.
Marble Jones and Nancy Miller are Trinity’s Hermitage Guild representatives and Mary Deal organizes the monthly coffees for the home. The ministry of presence with our seniors is important. We visited with Lee Childress who once headed Meals on Wheels. We also distributed three lap quilts for residents).
Thanks to all who backed goodies for this event. Louise Girvin of the Circle Leadership Team said: “It was a delightful event and so appreciated by all the residents who attended! It was a huge success!”
To learn more about Trinity’s UMW Circles, please visit our UMW page.
This Summer several Trinity Groups participated in the Summer Sunshine Project. These groups provided baskets of goodies to several community entities including:
