I am privileged to sit on the Board of Partners for Schools, a faith-in-action non-profit organization located in Lynden, Washington. In just a few years after its inception by local residents, Denny and Nancy McHarness, the program has found ways to bring local business partners, school leaders, and community-based mentors together to serve the needs of local high school students in the town's only public high school.
In the 13-14 schoolyear, the Partners for Schools launched a new mentoring program called Be The One. In just its first year it made a tremendous impact, increased student awareness of the opportunity to access community mentors, and raised funds to expand district staffing of a grant-funded position that was strategically positioned to reach students in their "hour of need."
This year the mentorship program is in the process of expanding to the middle school level where the successes of the partnership will be replicated. For information about this community's faith-in-action non-profit attempt to come alongside the needs in our community - including those in our public school system - please go to:
http://www.partnersforschools.org/our-message/
I am curious to know what experiences other members of the network are having as they look to respond to the needs of their community in a time when so much is made regarding "separation of church and state." Thankfully, because ACE's, trauma and neglect know no borders I am able to be part of a community of trauma-informed caregivers who are developing solutions to our community's needs - one relationship at a time.
Steve Dahl
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