The specific project that the Crystal Charity Ball is sponsoring is the launch of two new program sites, one at each of two West Dallas elementary schools, beginning fall 2013. This will allow us to grow the number of students we serve to 400, which is larger than we have ever been. This grant will provide for both ASPIRE after school and Summer Day Camp at each site. The CCB funds will allow us to operate these sites for three years, which will give us time to build an ongoing financial support base that will keep the sites in operation beyond the initial three years.

This grant is the biggest step towards our ultimate goal of serving 1000 students (25% of the West Dallas school-age population) since we first began doing out-of-school-time programming at the school campuses using this site model. The Fall semester of 2013 will see Voice of Hope growing to a total of 5 sites – 4 within area schools and 1 at our Main Campus.

The best part of all this is not the numbers and dollars and cents, but it is the promise of an opportunity to change young people’s lives for Christ and His Kingdom that we are most excited about. The out-of-school-time programming model (after school and summer programming) is just an effective means to the ultimate end – helping students grow into being productive Christian citizens!

How can you help?

1) Please pray that God will provide for us financially while we wait for the CCB funds to come in. Part of the requirement of the grant is that we suspend fundraising efforts until the CCB has finished raising the money to fund the projects (including this project) that it has elected to support. This means that we must walk by faith and trust God to provide the funds we need to operate during this interim period (of course, we must always walk by faith and trust God!)

2) Please consider partnering with us in this site-based approach to reaching out to kids. These new sites may be funded for the first three years, but we still need people to minister along with us as volunteers, prayer supporters, and advocates. You can partner with us individually through the Champions for Change program, or you and your small group, church, or place of work might consider adopting a class or even a whole school site. This second option means that your group builds a relationship with the class or site, regularly volunteering and praying for that class or site’s ministry.

If you would like to work with us on this project, please call us at 214-631-7027 or email us at voh@voiceofhope.org.
We are so excited about what God has in store for the future of Voice of Hope, and we hope you will consider joining with us. Most of all, we thank God that He has given us this tremendous opportunity to change lives for the gospel of Christ!

2nd Place Champs Lewisville Shoot-out this past weekend! 2nd Place champs out of a 16 team division!

Good job Saints!

After the loss of his father, many people would never imagine the bond that Reginald Evans and his mother share - it’s one that causes them to be closer than ever before.

Reginald, a Center and Power Forward for the West Dallas Saints, is a team player that has challenged not only his teammates but himself as well.

Reginald can easily be pointed out as the Most Valuable Player in any project or team, and can be aggressive when trying to meet goals and expectations.

Reginald, who is playing for the first year with the Saints, has to tackle more responsibility than most other players on the team this year. Staying on his grades and staying out of trouble are top on the list.

But what makes Reginald stand out?

Reginald has shown not just the will to win on the court but also the passion for family, respect, and hard work. He aspires to attend college and become a responsible young man. Reginald has proven to the coaching staff that he has no “quit” in his system.

One of the more important steps Reginald has taken is the step towards Christ. He is making progress to now put God first and attend Bible Study or Church service on a weekly basis.

Reginald is definitely a model example of a See You at the Top Award recipient!

(The See You at the Top Award is given seasonally to the Out of Boundz youth participant that most exemplifies the qualities it takes to be successful in life.)

National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, we have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals.

National Volunteer Week is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change –discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to foster positive transformation. Volunteerism is important for any nonprofit organization; here at Voice of Hope we value the volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts to making sure that the children in West Dallas are enjoying their time in the ASPIRE Afterschool Program.

Sheneka Sheffield has been living in West Dallas for over 24 years and has volunteered at Voice of Hope for over ten years, helping at the front desk and serving food. Ms. Sheffield is primarily motivated to volunteer by her need to constantly help others. When asked about volunteer memories, Ms. Sheffield replied that she always enjoys the time spent at Voice of Hope. She is excited about the changes that have taken place in West Dallas and the changes that will occur in the future. When she isn’t volunteering, Ms. Sheffield likes to spend time with her family and friends and going to church.

Because of the history that Voice of Hope has with Pinkston, we have built strong relationships with the Pinkston athletes and coaches. Voice of Hope has not only been a support to Pinkston’s athletic program but has also been involved with player mentoring, coaching assistance, character building, and bible studies off-site.

Now Voice of Hope can be found inside of the school, taking part in projects and events that motivate students, support teachers, and create lasting impact. We reach over 30 athletes through the LGP and VOH partnership.

Additionally Voice of Hope is now partnering with Mercy Street and other community youth leaders to provide after school mentoring to Pinkston students. While this is not a full Voice of Hope style after school program, it does afford us the opportunity to interact with several students on a daily basis. While it is frequently difficult to get teens to go to an after school program as such, many youth want to spend time with people who they know care about them and will be faithful and not “flaky”. It’s a vote of confidence in Jerami Lewis, the Director of Out of Boundz programs, that these kids are “voting with their feet” and joining with us during the after school hours.

The most exciting part of our ASPIRE program going into 2012 is the expansion of a new ASPIRE after school program site at Sidney Lanier Elementary School. This new program site officially launched on March 5th of this year; Dawn Jeffery now serves as the newly appointed Site Leader. This expansion opportunity adds to the footprint Voice of Hope has in the West Dallas community, greatly increasing our impact. This initiative was made possible by our faithful ministry partners and individual donors, prayers, and words of encouragement from many individuals in 2011 and continuing through 2012. Thank you to all who have participated with us and will continue to walk with us in this new venture!

Starting this new site was a direct response to a need that was expressed by the Sidney Lanier leadership at a 2011 School Zone meeting. The Sidney Lanier representative tearfully explained how they had lost the federal grant money they were using to fund their own in-house after school program. At the time they saw no way to continue this vital program, and so they were reaching out to the nonprofit community for help.

We discovered that we were able to meet this need, and of course we already had a model (our school-site model of program delivery) that would make it a relatively easy task to take up where the school had previously left off. Together with the Lanier staff, we developed a hybrid program that mixed elements of the older Lanier program with the distinctive qualities of the Voice of Hope program. The program staff consists of a Site Leader and assistant, as normal, but it also incorporates a rotation of Sidney Lanier teachers that bring educational experience, knowledge, and school community relationships that will help us greatly in tailoring the program to the unique needs of the Sidney Lanier student body. So far we have already seen the success of this approach, and this new model may serve as a way to improve our other existing sites.

Having an ASPIRE after school program at Sidney Lanier will allow us to reach 50 more children during the after school time every day. This will not only increase our presence in the schools and the number of children we serve, but it will help us work more closely with the school community to make a greater impact in West Dallas. As we all know, out of school time is a crucial route to positively influencing the lives of many children in West Dallas, and we at Voice of Hope are committed to meeting this challenge whenever and wherever we possibly can.

First and foremost of these initiatives is our pursuit of Texas state licensure. Voice of Hope officially became state licensed on November 30th, 2011, and we are currently the only exclusively out-of-school-time care facility to do this in West Dallas. It was a detailed process, but we found that there was very little we had to change in terms of program processes, which is a testament to the vigilant efforts of our program management and staff. Our off-site locations (currently held at Amelia Earhart and Sidney Lanier elementary schools) are still considered exempt from state licensure, but we are committed to running them with the same procedures we utilize at our Main Campus.

Voice of Hope is also pursuing a Certificate of Quality from the Dallas AfterSchool Network, a Dallas-area afterschool quality improvement organization. We are currently at level II of a four-level process, and we anticipate receiving our certification by the end of this year.

Voice of Hope strives for excellence in its programs in every way possible, because ultimately the reward is better investment in children's lives. We do not take this opportunity to serve kids for granted.

Groups come to Voice of Hope and are able to teach a Bible study, lead praise and worship, and have fun and fellowship with the kids on our program. The curriculum is already set up - the children arrive, and our wonderful volunteers step in place!

Church groups that are interested should contact Voice of Hope Ministries to discuss this exciting event today!

What is an Interact Club?

Interact is a service club for youth ages 14-18 years old, operating as an auxiliary to Rotary International. Clubs benefit from sponsorship by individual Rotary Clubs, which provide support and guidance. Interact Clubs are dedicated to community and international service. Every Interact club project, great or small, has a lasting impact on society worldwide.

Voice of Hope’s Interact Club meets select Saturdays during the school year.

For more information about Rotary Interact Clubs, visit the Interact website.

CP: How many years have you been an ASPIRE Coach at Voice of Hope Ministries?

QH: 5 years, going on 6.

CP: Have you always been a 1st grade Coach?

QH: Yes.

CP: Did you have any personal ties to West Dallas before you came on staff with Voice of Hope?

QH: Yes, I was born and raised in West Dallas. My kids went to West Dallas Community School for a while, and now they attend Focus Learning Academy.

CP: So what led to these 1st grade students accepting Christ?

QH: I was leading Bible study on that Friday [February 11th], and I gave the plan of salvation, you know, how you can be a follower of Jesus, and I made sure they understood it. I asked if any wanted to accept Christ - hands went up, and there were 10 that accepted.

CP: So what do you think it takes to be a good ASPIRE Coach?

QH: You have to love the Lord, you have to love the children, and you have to be interested in their learning. You also have to be patient and be able to multi-task.

CP: What do you enjoy most about being a Coach?

QH: I enjoy being with the children when they are most responsive, when they see and do what is being asked of them. It's a success to see them catch on to what's going on.

CP: What is yoru biggest challenge?

QH: The kids that are undisciplined, who won't listen and have a tendency to disrupt the class.

CP: What impact does the ASPIRE program have on the students in your class?

QH: It gives them a place to come and get help. They get fed, and they can interact with students from other schools.

CP: Do you see any long term benefits for the students?

QH: Yes, I do. There's real help for them here. They can get the help they need for their education. And during the summer time they get to see and do things they haven't experienced before, and that's good for them.

CP: What one thing would you tell a new coach who just took the job?

QH: It's a day-to-day experience - no two days are alike. You just have to stay grounded. You have to stay the same - you can't change. You have to treat all the students the same, but their situations are different, and you treat each situation differently. But with the students you can't have any favorites.

There are many exciting things about this program, but perhaps the most exciting aspect is how it brings people together. Marilyn Miles, who is a regular attender of the Bible study, says it this way: "It's a comeraderie. It's something you don't normally see." She describes how it used to be in West Dallas, how the African-Americans and the Hispanics hardly ever spoke with each other. But this Bible study is different - it has created an environment where people are comfortable across cultural barriers. Ms. Miles tells this story of a sewing class she joined because of the Bible study: "I was the only non-Hispanic in the sewing class. One night I was trying to do something [with my quilt], and I couldn't do it. I found that I wanted to call Debbie, a Hispanic person, to learn how to do it."

"[The Seniors' Bible study] is a place where I can tell her [Debbie] that I love her - and I'm really telling the truth!"

Out of this comeraderie has developed a real passion among these ladies for the proper care of the West Dallas community. The Crime Watch meeting hosted at Vocie of Hope Family and Community Services, which is primarily attended by Seniors' Bible Study members, always has the best turn out of any of the Crime Watches in the area, according to the police officers who come to the Crime Watch meetings.

It is a blessing to see these ladies from a variety of backgrounds coming together around the common bond of faith in Jesus Christ and a commitment to the study of His Word!

The young men who participate with the West Dallas Saints not only love basketball, but have chosen to join the Out of Boundz Youth Ministry–a Christian mentorship program for teenage youth that not only offers them volunteer basketball coaching and a team environment through sports programs like the West Dallas Saints, but also provides role models who can guide these young men as they make important life decisions. Each youth must maintain a level of commitment and good behavior in order to get and stay on the Saints team. In addition, each has a mentorship relationship with coaches and Out-of-Boundz ministry leadership.

We charge these select players very little, based on the financial situations of our West Dallas residents. If it were not for Voice of Hope providing the opportunity to play AAU, many of these players would not have the chance of playing for a team.

Most of the players attend L.G. Pinkston High School, and many are already leaders in their class due to their skill at basketball. Our goal is to work to form them into young men who can be solid examples to their classmates of the transforming power of Christ working in their lives day by day.

The AAU team travels and plays in tournaments. Some of last year's season highlights include:

• 5 time consolation winner
• 4 time 1^st Place champions
• 3 time 2^nd Place champions
• 5 time 3^rd Place champions
• 4 time bracket winners