The Micah Initiative is a partnership of faith communities with Richmond City elementary schools that encourages “mentoring, tutoring, and volunteering… so that every child believes, ‘I am valuable.'” Our church is privileged to serve at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School (OGBES), a school of nearly 700 students located just off Jeff Davis Highway. There are so many ways we can help these children and the Oak Grove community. If you would like to participate in anyway, please contact Susan Ryan (susanryan1@verizon.net or 804-282-6321). Donations can be placed in designated bins at the Missions tables in the Upper and Lower Commons.
Pray
Please keep OGBES’s teachers and children in your prayers.
Volunteer (No teaching experience necessary)
Mentor a Child: Ideally you will meet with the same child – a kindergarten, first, or second grade student – each week during the school year, helping him / her with reading and writing, developing a meaningful relationship, and being a presence the child can count on.
Volunteer in a Classroom: You’ll be an extra pair of hands for a teacher. You might work with individual students or small groups, put up bulletin boards, file papers, read to the class – whatever needs doing.
Birthday Card Program: Volunteers are needed to write upbeat messages, perhaps add drawings and stickers, in birthday cards for students. The cards are provided and addressed by Micah volunteers, and then given to children along with a birthday pencil.
Donations
School Clothes Closet (boys and girls):
- shirts
- pants
- sweaters
- socks
- underwear
Please place donations in the designated bins at the Mission Table in the Lower Commons.
Commercial Programs
Box Tops for Education: Continue to collect Box Tops and place in the designated drawers at the Mission Tables in the Upper and Lower Commons. Please note: at this time we are NOT moving to the digital collection (scanning).
Kroger Community Rewards Program: If you shop at Kroger and are not enrolled supporting another organization, you can designate your Kroger Plus Card to support Oak Grove.
Thank You
Box Tops for Education: Since the beginning of the school year we have collected 450 box tops — that’s $45 for the school to use, often for incentives to motivate and reward students!
Richmond Ballet’s Minds in Motion Program: Through the Board of Missions budget and three other Micah churches, OGBES is about to participate in this program. The Ballet brings this program to several area schools each year and will work with two 4th grade classes weekly throughout the school year to increase awareness of and access to the arts.
Ongoing Donations: Thank you for your continuous donations of clothes, school supplies, books, and all other needs that arise for our students!