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In Gratitude
We Celebrate...
Your commitment to cultivate peace
YEAR IN REVIEW 2006
3 Major Initiatives
1. Bridges Out of Poverty
During the past 2½ years, Peace Connections is actively providing leadership in helping our community get the information we need to help those living in poverty. This information, called Bridges Out of Poverty, comes from the aha! Process organization developed by Dr. Ruby Payne. It is an educational framework intended to help businesses, schools, community agencies, and others build understanding and make changes in how people from a background of poverty and those from middle class relate to each other.
Peace Connections continues to:
coordinate events and funding to bring the Bridges Out of Poverty information and presenters to this area
recruit various agencies to send individuals to the training sessions
host monthly meetings for community leaders
coordinate classes for those from generational poverty
facilitate plans to help children/families from poverty.
Ways Peace Connections Has Made a Difference
Peace Connections, by popular request, again coordinated and published a calendar and listing of free & low cost activities for kids during the summer in Newton. Over 30 opportunities were listed with information & calendar on a two-page flyer. The flyer was sent home with all Newton school children at the end of May – 3,000 copies!
The What Every Churchmember Should Know about Poverty seminar with Rev. Bill Ehlig, Houston, TX, was held in October. Peace Connections wrote a grant to make this event possible and assisted in the coordination of this seminar which focused on understanding generational poverty & hidden rules of class, what this means for our church community, and how persons from poverty and church members can better understand and learn from each other. The one-day presentation was well attended, as well as, the free evening overview session open to the community. Ehlig also spoke at Shalom Mennonite Church on the Sunday prior and met with a group of pastors and leaders from three area Hispanic Churches.
Plans were developed for another session of the "Getting Ahead" classes, which are designed especially to help those in poverty gain a better understanding about how to improve their situation were. The class will begin as soon as funding is available ($7,800 needed) and will follow the study of the book Getting Ahead in a Just Getting' By World. Peace Connections is coordinating conversation between local employers and the Getting Ahead Task Force.
Mark McCormick, columnist for the Wichita Eagle, spoke at the Peace Connections annual review on the topic “Why are we so poor?” to continue to raise awareness on poverty. Sammie Simmons, Getting Ahead Class instructor and local SRS head, shared several of his poems from his book New Beginnings.
Monthly meetings have been hosted by Peace Connections on the 3rd Wednesday of each month during 2006. Community leaders meet to continue work on education & implementation of Bridges principals in community agencies. Steve Richards, Peace Connections board member, has given several informational presentations to the group. At the meetings time is also given for discussion on a variety of issues regarding poverty, ways to collaborate between agencies, and planning for how to increase community awareness.
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HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR: SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM FOR KIDS A question grew out of our work with the community Bridges Out of Poverty initiative... ”Was there a way to cultivate more peace by making a connection with children from poverty?” The high percentage (46% in 2006) of children on free/reduced meals at the schools led the ideas to center around the need for food during the summer for families, especially children, from poverty. Peace Connections, together with several community members and various agencies, including USD 373, USDA, Mid-Cap, Harvey Co. Health Department, Harvey Co. Extension Service, developed an initial plan to make food available for kids during the summer. The Summer Food Program for Kids offered free breakfasts and lunches to all Newton children ages 2-18 during the months of June and July. The USDA provided the funding for the food and salary for cooks – providing summer jobs for 4 cooks. USD 373 provided the facilities for use. The Leadership Newton Class chose this for their class project, donating money and volunteer time. The Immanuel Baptist Church donated the use of their bus and provided a driver for the last two weeks of the program; Wenger Oil donated gas. Several other groups and individuals made donations as well. Fifty-seven volunteers gave time and energy, including Pam Schrag, volunteer coordinator, and Lori Harder, USD 373 Director of Food Service. Throughout the summer Peace Connections worked with the overall coordination of these groups and with publicity. RESULT: 6,894 meals served weekdays in June and July for 7 weeks. Free summer movies for kids were also made available during June & July. Newton Medical Center covered the cost of the movie license fee. Bethel College donated half of projector rental fees. Family Home Video donated movie rental fees. Shalom Mennonite Church and St. Mary's Catholic School provided their facilities for use. The Harvey Co. Extension Service offered instruction on healthy snacks prior to some of the movies. Again, Peace Connections coordinated these plans with these various groups. In September, plans for the summer of 2007 began and have continued monthly. The intention is to make busing available during both months, as well as, have more scholarships available for caregivers who eat with their children. |
Future Directions
Peace Connections is very encouraged by the growing interest expressed over the past year by individuals, agencies, schools, etc. in the area in helping build understanding and make changes in how people with different access to resources relate to each other. Already plans are being made for the expansion of the Summer Food Program for Kids, to seek funding for the Getting Ahead class (teachers, location, & students are ready), as well as, for a Getting Ahead Training the Trainers seminar. The Community Bridges meetings will continue monthly at Peace Connections. Our hope is for the Bridges information to continue to make a difference in our community and help sustain it as a whole.
2. Nonviolence EducationPeace Connections provides resources on the power of nonviolence in relating to ourselves and others. We offer education for all ages, with a special focus on the needs of children.
Season for Nonviolence 2006 - Peace Connections offered materials for the Season, January 31-April 4, and helped raise awareness about the event.
Bread Comes to Life - During June, children from ages kindergarten to junior high were invited to come and create a variety of nutritious snack, listen to stories, and participate in activities related to peace and nonviolence.
Gift Shop offerings & resource material - The store offered a wide variety of products and resources that promote peace.
Nonviolent Communication (NVC) - Peace Connections Director attended a 9-day Intensive seminar in Albuquerque and co-lead a Cultivating Compassion NVC study series at Peace Connections.
Nonviolent Communication Workshops – Two workshops were offered by Jean Ryan, Topeka, KS. The first was for parents, caregivers and teachers, assisting with caring for children compassionately. The second focused on caring relationships and deepening communication between couples, family members, and friends.
Presentation on Iranian and U.S. Relations - Peace Connections hosted this event focusing on Tim Penner's recent travels to Iran to help educate our community about the current U.S. & Iran situation.
September 11 Remeberance & Celebration – On this date Peace Connections showed the movie Ghandi, followed by a discussion time to reflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and celebrate 100th anniversary of the beginning of the nonviolent movement on Sept. 11, 1906.
3. A Place to Grow Peace
Peace Connections celebrates the peace that is (already) within us and equips us to grow that peace and share it with others in our everyday lives.
Paper Crane Project – Peace Connections began the year with a goal of folding 1,000 paper cranes to honor the 60th anniversary year of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Friends of Peace Connections were invited to stop in and fold a paper crane for peace. The goal was accomplished with the special help a Japanese “war bride” who lives in Newton. Young people from a local church strung the cranes for hanging.
Breathing Room - A unique space for relaxation & meditation – always available!
Alternatives for Simple Living - The national coordinator came to Peace Connections for a presentation on the “Five Voluntary Standards of Simplicity.”
Card making - A personal expression that spreads peace and an activity that groups enjoy doing together, as well as, one that many individuals also want to come in for.
Freeze Framer - we have this computer program available which is designed to help practice being calm.
Additional Ways We are Building Resources within Individuals & Communities
Peace Connections is involved in a number of ways in the community in which we work to promote peace and share our resources.
Giving Garden - Thanks to Harvey County Extension Master Gardeners over 2 tons of fresh vegetables were grown to be given to the Salvation Army food pantry.
Hispanic Community meetings – Peace Connections met several times this past fall with members of three Hispanic Churches in an effort to make a connection with this segment of our area community.
Computers for Creativity - A series of classes were offered in the spring.
Taste of Newton & Bethel College Fall Festival - Peace Connections offered healthy food alternatives and a peace presence during this Newton downtown event and at the college, held Peace Fair activities for children & offered items relating to peace for sale.
Newsletter - Published 4 times yearly, this was a resource that gave information on our main initiatives, listed upcoming events, and reported on what had been happening in our work for peace.
Monthly Board Meetings - A highlight of their work was planning for 2006 which included a Visioning workshop and several sessions of setting goals & priorities.
Halloween Walk - Peace Connections volunteers enjoyed stamping children with peaceful, temporary “tatoos” as an alternative to more candy.
Taste of Christmas – attracted about 200 visitors, many new to Peace Connections.
Peace Connections is a part of these community groups: member of Newton Ministerial Alliance, Newton Area Chamber, Communities in Schools, Asset Builders Coalition of Harvey County.
Heartland SHARE - Peace Connections is a site for purchasing food shares and also helped promote the opportunity with local churches.
Our Goal: To bring about nonviolence and justice in social interaction. We will network with individuals, groups, & organizations to:
Build resources within individuals & communities,
Teach and practice nonviolence, &
Nurture personal well-being