Community Service

Yesterday we took our band and choir to the Carillion Nursing Center in Huntington for our annual Christmas Concert. We have been going there for three years now. The students get a feel for how fortunate they are to be well and with their families during the holidays and they enjoy bringing smiles to those who are less fortunate.

We did a series of Christmas songs and ended with a medley of Christmas Carols that had most of the ambulatory residents up singing and dancing. In the spring we will be taking the group to a senior center in Nassau County for a Spring Concert.

Part of the education process must include teaching the students the value of what they already have and the importance of "giving back". Community service is an important component of the educational process here at Upper Room.

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
Ed

Community Service

Community Service is a large part of what we teach and empower here at Upper Room Christian School. Today for example our Senior Class will be preparing over 500 shopping bags of fresh groceries for needy families this Thanksgiving season. The school itself raised over $1,200 and brought in several bags of non-perishables and we add that to over $10,000 worth of food that was donated by Upper Room Christian World Center and food that was donated by local pantries.

Over 500 families will receive a Turkey and all the fixins ready to be prepared as well as over 300 hot meals that will be distributed to the home bound Thanksgiving morning. Our students work for about 4 hours today and many even come back tomorrow to help with the distribution of the food.

We will do it all again for Christmas! As our students serve their community they practice their Christianity in real and meaningful ways and can witness the love of Jesus in meeting the needs of others. Christ did not come to be served but to serve and we here at URCS endeavor to live out of that principal.

Change for Change

We are so excited to be back to school! Part of the excitement is the opportunity the school gives each student for community service. In the picture above URCS graduate Lauren Barnes (a senior at the time) is shown with sister Cathy Smith, a few of her children and a News 12 reporter at the Children of Hope mission in Wyandanch. Lauren was spearheading a mentoring program between the school and the mission.

For one of our projects this year we are partnering with Cablevision's Charity Champions program to raise money to help feed those in need. We call it "Change for Change". Each student brings in loose change or an item of non-perishable food to be distributed to over 1,000 needy people from all over the Long Island area.

Surely the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts and hallways and we have a great desire to reach out to our community with love and support. We are always looking for creative ways to help those in our communities that have a need.

7th Annual Hempstead Day

Upper Room Christian School was represented again at this year's annual Hempstead Day. The event is hosted by H.E.V.N. (Helping End Violence Now). There are resource tables for the community, free food and a basketball tournament. Several county legislators come out to show their support and the event features several guest speakers and a gospel concert.

Our varsity boys took second place for the tournament and a great time was had by all in attendance!

Grace and Peace,
Ed