Senior Meal Program Set to Begin
The Congregant Meal Program for senior citizens (60 and older) is set to begin on Wednesday, November 1st. Participants will be welcome to come to the Activity Building Wednesdays and Fridays between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. A variety of activities will be available each day with bingo on the first Friday of each month. Seniors must be registered to participate in the meal program. Space is limited. Volunteers are needed and all seniors are welcome.
Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Plans are underway for our community Thanksgiving Dinner. The annual event will be held on Tuesday, November 24th in the Activity Center. Volunteers are needed. Call the Center at (706) 722-0086 for more information.
Funding News
The Women's Division of the General Board of Global Ministries has awarded New Bethlehem Community Center an $18,750 Call to Prayer Grant and Wachovia Bank donated $10,000 in support of the New Horizons for Women program. The innovative pilot program is designed to provide basic job training, skills updating and self-improvement classes specifically targeted to women living in at-risk neighborhoods, those who are employed in low paying jobs and those who want to improve their marketability for promotions and better paying positions in the workforce. Participants in the program will receive 1) assistance in the development and improvement of writing and communication skills needed for successful careers; 2) self-improvement classes; and computer classes for learning and improving computer skills using Microsoft Office. The first session of the program began on September 16, 2009 and will continue for 14 weeks.
New Bethlehem Community Center was named as one of 16 recipients of the Walker Restitution Fund dispersement by the United States District Court, Southern District of Georgia. The $15,000 award was used to support the After School and GED programs.
OuiCare International, sponsor of the Annual Father Daughter Gala, has presented New Bethlehem Co
mmunity Center with a check in the amount of $5,000.00. Each year the Gala proceeds is given to a local non-profit organization. Many thanks to Bob O'Neal and Representative Quincy Murphy for their support.
The Elanco Company, a global research-based company and division of Eli Lilly and Company, has awarded New Bethlehem Community Center a $1,500 grant to fund congregant meals for 20 senior citizens for one year. The congregant meal program is being sponsored in partnership with the Area Agency on Aging and is set to begin November 2009.
Other corporate funding in 2009 included $500 grant from Amerigroup, $500 grant from the Allstate Foundation, and $750 donation from Georgia Bank and Trust.
Community Garden News
It has been said that you can find treasures in your own backyard if you just look hard enough. Well, we found a treasure across the street from the Center. A vacant, overgrown lot is now being developed into a community garden thanks to the vision and work of long time Center volunteer, Shirley Christie. The land, donated for use as a garden by Habitat for Humanity, will be cultivated for what we hope will be a crop of vegetables in Spring 2010. We are looking forward to the participation of the community and children in the After School program.
Our New Logo
As we look to the future of the Center, we decided to develop our own unique logo. The new logo reminds us of the Star of Bethlehem, a symbol of life, hope and promise. In the days to come, the logo will be transitioned throughout the Center and all of our printed material.
