A 17-person group of volunteers was formed last summer and committed to spend at least one hour a week tutoring children a local third grade Palomino Grade School, including one student in developing reading skills. Many of the volunteers devote several hours each week to one or more students.
“The majority of the third graders speak English as their second language, which makes the sessions more challenging, but also more rewarding,” Smith says.
Palomino School serves an area of Phoenix that is home to a primarily Hispanic population, which Smith says has been particularly hard hit by the nation’s floundering economy.
In addition to the tutoring program, the Paradise Valley congregation recently committed to providing a minimum of 20 bags of groceries per month to the food pantry located within the school. The first month of this commitment resulted in donations totaling more than 80 bags of nonperishable food.
Smith says the work to feed the minds and bodies is opening the door to building deeper relationships with the community and enabling spiritual discussions.
