Quick Stats of Childhood Poverty:
22% of children who have lived in poverty (even temporarily) drop out of school compared to the overall dropout rate of 6%
High-poverty districts spend 15.6% less on each student than those in more affluent districts. This can result in less student retention, lower earning potential after graduation, and high poverty rates in adulthood.
As of October 2023, Nashua had the 2nd highest rate of students enrolled in free lunch, 2nd only to Manchester and about 3x the amount of Concord enrollments
A Ministry of Accompaniment
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40)
Many programs, both secular and religious, focus on meeting the immediate needs of children and families experiencing poverty; providing food, school supplies, and other necessities to help. Though that is incredibly important work, one thing that sometimes falls through the cracks is the simple power of being a supportive presence. What’s so unique about Youth Enrichment and Support (YES) is that kind supportive presence in the midst of hardship is what its all about.
It’s about ACCOMPANIMENT.
The National Institute on Health reports that these types of relationships have a positive impact on academic functioning, self-esteem, and decrease both behavior problems and the risk of substance misuse.
The goal of the YES program is to raise up dedicated and skilled volunteers from within our congregation and to send them out to programs in the community that provide transitional housing to families. Our volunteers provide support with babysitting, games, and other enrichment activities to be another supportive, non-parental adult in the lives of these kids.
Interested in learning more or getting involved? Contact Pastor George!
The Front Door Agency originated as a ministry at Church of the Good Shepherd many years ago and has since grown into its own non-profit helping mothers reach their goals of financial stability. Their mission is to provide a holistic approach to break the cycle of poverty by assisting individuals and families to stabilize, transform, and become empowered to ultimately achieve sustainable independence.
Over the years, Church of the Good Shepherd’s relationship with the Front Door has grown and changes from housing the organization in its early days and financial contributions to collecting Easter baskets and Christmas presents.
YES is the next phase of that ever-evolving partnership by sending volunteers to show up and be present directly with families in their transitional housing program and, in turn, volunteers have the opportunity to grow in their own faith through the experience.
