Student Contributor -M. McCue
Colville Community Church is a local organization that seeks to serve several at-risk populations in their community. They support and provide resources for those struggling with homelessness and those of a low SES status. They focus on creating a space where no individual is judged, and all are welcomed.
Colville has a large low socio-economic population, as well as many people who struggle with homelessness. In response to this need in the community, Colville Community Church has reached out to partner with a state organization, Second Harvest, to provide a free weekly meal every Monday. They also started a food pantry to provide individuals with food throughout the week. To further serve their community they created and help to maintain a space for multiple support groups. Teachers should consider partnering with them as there are many small and easy ways in which their classroom can help contribute.
There are many ways that teachers can partner with Colville Community Church that are little to no cost. For example, the church generally tries to create homey decorations and placemats for the individuals that attend this meal. When my class partnered with them, we created placemats that focused on giving thanks to our community. Another easy option would be a canned food drive, as their food pantry and the meal serve around 80-90 people every week. Something on the larger scale could be a field trip to help serve the meal or interact with the attendees. This may be harder to pull off but would have a larger impact on the students on the importance of giving back and supporting those in our communities.
