PROGRAMSPROGRAMS
2008 SUMMARY OF PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND NEW PROJECTS
Since 1988, Vineyard Outreach Ministry’s staff and volunteers have created felt-need programs and activities for Vine neighborhood residents and safe places for them to go. We are the only charitable, ecumenical organization within the confines of this neighborhood that offers:
A. A Multi-Cultural Community and Outreach Center that was designed for and with the people in the neighborhood. It has the look and feel of a cozy and cheerful home to both adults and children. The entire center is well stocked with items chosen to stimulate imagination, creativity, and positive responses to people and situations. Multiple small rooms and small groups foster self and other awareness, accountability, integrity, spontaneity, and positive activity.
B. Felt-need, long-term, holistic activities for at-risk Vine families and individuals within a short distance of their homes. Our consistent presence in this neighborhood helps to foster trust and cooperation among Vine residents and our staff, board, volunteers, and supporters.
C. Seasoned staff and volunteers who choose to invite Vine residents beyond this ministry’s programs into their homes, churches, businesses, and neighborhoods outside the Vine neighborhood.
D. Personal, private outreach and care for Vine residents by professional staff in their homes, hospitals, prisons, or jails.
E. Facility and administrative costs that directly benefit residents like use of the Community Center, telephone and copier use, postage stamps, and computers.
These programs for ages 3 to 18 are offered to Vine neighborhood families as a safe place for their children to go for healthy volunteer attention, holistic type programming, age appropriate skill development, and community service opportunity. Families are invited to participate in these programs as helpers or guests. Their participation helps parents grow less fearful and more whole. The direct inclusion of parents and siblings in our programs also helps promote families getting to know other families in safe, neutral places where they can begin to build supportive relationships within the Vine neighborhood and beyond our programs.
TUTORING PROGRAM
This program offers Vine neighborhood youth an opportunity to work with skilled tutors and mentors on a one to one basis at our computer lab contained within our Center. Children learn basic computer skills and are tutored in basic math, reading, writing, and/or science projects based on the child’s readiness, knowledge, and skill level. Parents, teachers, and tutors are encouraged to work together in a way that can better meet children’s special needs and contribute to their academic success.
FAMILY OUTINGS & HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS
Most of the families in our programs have no reliable transportation or ways to enjoy simple pleasures like a meal together in a restaurant, a pool party, or a trip to a play or a movie. We host outings to help provide individual families with healthy opportunities for learning, relaxation, and positive memory building. Each family unit also receives the added benefit of getting to know the other families in our programs on these outings and have oftentimes developed supportive networks beyond what our ministry can provide for them.
COMPUTER LAB
Our computer lab is available to Vine residents to use. High school and college students have used our computers to write papers. Marginalized adults gain hardware and software experience and utilize their new skill to write resumes or business letters as they work to improve their personal economy.
DAZE AWAY & HOPE FOR MOTHERS
Daze Away was created with Vine mothers for the purpose of helping them enjoy a weekend away at a location where they can rest, nurture themselves, encourage each other's creativity, and develop a supportive network among themselves. The supportive network that meets regularly is called Hope for Mothers. Both these programs help overly-stressed, traumatized mothers get in touch with themselves in ways that help them begin to appreciate their value as women and as creative agents for healthy change within their homes and their communities.
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
These events generally include meals, gifts and community building activities and games for Vine residents in need of warmth, support, and healthy pleasures like birthday celebrations, beach trips, or Christmas parties.
PASTORAL VISITATION
Vine neighborhood residents are offered the privacy and solace of one-to-one visitation at their homes, hospitals, jails, or prisons. These visits can include a vast range of services which can include babysitting for a parent near burnout or reading a story to an elderly shut-in.
CRISIS INTERVENTION
When residents or visitors to the Vine neighborhood are in mental, emotional, physical or spiritual crisis, this ministry provides protection, effective listening, immediate referral service to skilled therapists or institutions, or conflict mediation.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
Vineyard Outreach Ministry offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities from shampooing carpets at our Youth Center to staffing our programs and special events on a short or long term basis. Students can earn extra credit for their volunteer service with us. Adult and juvenile offenders meet probation or parole requirements. College student volunteers meet course or supervised field placement requirements for BS or BA degrees.
NETWORKING PROJECTS
Through networking projects with other organizations interested in Vine residents, we have been able to reach more neighborhood residents, share resources, provide co-sponsored short-term programming, and promote goodwill among neighborhood residents, businesses, agencies and area churches or ministries.
SPIRITUAL AND TOPICAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
Families or individuals interested in spiritual growth are welcome to visit our staff at the Community Center on a walk-in basis. Volunteers are encouraged to invite interested families or marginalized adults to their home churches. We develop felt-need, topical growth groups like Parenting Teens and Non-Violence Training when requested by neighborhood residents. Sunday Prayer & Dinner and Monday through Friday Prayer Times are hosted for residents and other people seeking a safe place for prayer and reflection.
STATISTICS FOR 2008
We anticipate serving no less than 600 people through outreach contacts, pastoral visits and services, programs, projects, and emergency assistance efforts.