Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church - Partner, Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary
Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, known as CHUM, is highly responsive to the needs of Parkwood-Upjohn Students. They approached KCIS in the fall of 2006 because they were determined to support the Kalamazoo Promise. Having ‘adopted’ Parkwood as a result, they help in meeting a number of individual and school needs. Several members commit weekly to mentoring and tutoring students. In order to be effective in helping students in reading, four of the volunteers completed 25 hours of the intense training offered by the SLD Center. These volunteers are excited and encouraged by the significant improvement all of their students are showing in reading.
Some are beginning to follow their students to middle school. These volunteers are making a difference not only in the lives of children, but in lives of entire families. Take, for example, Shirley Freeman. When Site Coordinator Jody Sikkema connected her to a sixth grader in need of tutoring, she worked consistently with him all school year, and when he asked to spend more time with her, she suggested they meet over the summer at the Kalamazoo Public Library. The student was thrilled that there were so many books and that he could actually check them out for free like he did with the library at Parkwood-Upjohn. When the student’s father and younger sibling arrived to pick him up, Shirley and the student asked if he could get a library card. Dad was amenable, and that day the student and his little sister walked out of the building with brand new library cards on rainbow lanyards. The next day in school, and many times after that, the student proudly wore his library card. In introducing the student to this community resource, Shirley also introduced his parents to it and now his entire family incorporates the library into their lives.
And then there is Sue Beadling. She has met with the same student throughout 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, offering tutoring and mentoring support. She has kept in contact with him over the summer as well. Each fall, his mother enters Parkwood and heads for the Site Coordinator’s office, requesting that her child be connected with Sue once again. She is grateful that Sue’s support, along with that of Kalamazoo Public Schools, and the additional basic needs & social/emotional support provided by other community partners through KCIS, has helped to move her child’s reading up, from a strategic to a proficient level.
CHUM helps families meet basic needs. A family who found themselves homeless this school year, was helped by the generosity and support of CHUM who helped make a new house a home, providing lights, couch, chairs, tables, beds, bedding, and more. In the past, they have also purchased books for students.
Site Coordinator Jody Sikkema says of all the volunteers through CHUM, “They are always willing to help meet identified needs that arise. The members are dependable, caring and they are always there.”
Photo: Shirley Freeman (left) and Sue Beadling accept a 2009 Champ Celebration certificate on behalf of Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church.
Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, we thank you for helping students stay in school and succeed in life.