A note from program director Kay Williams:
I want to update you on the decision we have made in regards to GraceWorks for the summer of 2020. GraceWorks will continue although modified. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, we will not have our usual camp of young children. Instead, GraceWorks has partnered with the AmeriCorps Vista program for college students. GraceWorks has been authorized to have up to four AmeriCorps college students employed to ensure GraceWorks continues to move forward for the children and community.
The AmeriCorps staff will do their administrative assignments from home and also complete their on-site hours by working with me to utilize the vegetable beds to grow and harvest fresh produce for Community Kitchens and Grace’s Food Pantry weekly guests. The green space, Woods historic cemetery, Food Forest, rain catchment systems and Grace Place building will all be maintained and continue the work needed to move our projects forward.
Currently, I have scheduled times for individual families to come with their children and help prep the gardens for the growing season. Keeping to this plan of working with only one family a day allows us to follow strict physical distancing while allowing the children to continue to participate and learn. Additionally, we will be back working on the Grace Place renovations next week. (Just a few at a time. The building is big enough for a few to work in different areas and be isolated from each other doing different tasks.) If the community does not see anyone over at the building it will become tempting for some to try and break-in, even though we have an alarm system.
I have developed an Amazon wish list for items we will need this summer to continue our modified GraceWorks ministry. I have also included the AmeriCorps link for any college student interested in applying for a summer position at GraceWorks.
Blessings, and stay safe,
Kay
GraceWorks 