New stuff
In addition to the Friday Pack program, Generous Hands, Inc. piloted two other programs during the summer of 2006. Our tutoring program took place during the last two weeks of August, Tuesday through Friday from 11AM to 1PM, at our warehouse. The program was designed by several teachers and reading consultants associated with Generous Hands and staffed with additional volunteers. About a dozen children from the Friday Pack program were invited to participate in a "re-entry" program, designed to get them ready to return to school. Basic reading and math were reviewed at each child's academic level. We also provided lunch for these children, which they helped prepare.
The second summer program was called the Fresh Food Initiative. Twice during the summer, we obtained mostly perishable food from the Food Bank of South Central Michigan in Battle Creek--including items like fresh sweet corn, zucchini, tomatoes, peaches, yogurt and bread. We partnered with the Vicksburg United Methodist Church and South County Community Services in distributing these items to families in need. Forty-nine families were served during the first FFI and 68 during the second.