Blog
This is simply a place for our volunteers to tell stories, offer inspiration, and attempt to express how the PEACE Program has shaped our lives and the lives of the kids we love. We hope you enjoy hearing about our journey!
Happy Birthday to Us
By Amy F. The PEACE Program was “born” in January of 2010, so this month marks our 7th birthday. Perhaps “7th anniversary” or “seven years since founding” would technically be more correct to say since it is, after all, a program and not a person. Yet, thanks to the constant adventure that being a part of this team has been, PEACE does seem alive to me, and that’s why I call January “our birthday.” Our birthday. It’s your celebration too, if your are a member of the scores of people...
read moreFinding Peace
By Amy F. We’re sitting on the long doormat at the entrance to the PEACE Program, little tracks of snow melting into our pants. As the wet and draft begin to chill me, I have to remind myself what I’m doing here. On the floor. In my nice work clothes. At the end of a long day. Why am I here? Oh, yeah. Because she’s here. My 7-year-old friend, who doesn’t want to talk about it, doesn’t want to go home, but is just not ready to start on her 50 math facts. So, we meet in the middle… on the floor. And because I had a tiny glimpse of her world...
read more10 Things We’re Thankful For
by Nate F. In light of the Thanksgiving Holiday that we have coming up, we wanted to share with you 10 things that we’re thankful for at the Peace Program: Art Projects! We’ve painted gourds and pumpkins, traced leaves, drawn pictures, and much more. I love seeing the creativity of the kids as they get to color, create, and convey their imaginations through art. Laughter! I’m grateful for the amazing and (sometimes) hilarious things that our kids say and do. There isn’t a day at PEACE that isn’t filled with at least a...
read moreThe Gift of Gratitude
This summer at the PEACE Program, a lot of amazing things happened. We got our hands dirty gardening, acted the part as knights and princesses, painted our faces with chalk almost daily, rode skateboards in the empty pool, made minion self-portraits, acquired numerous grass stains playing soccer, received a generous grant for our library and new flooring from the housing authority. But, do you want to know what was my absolute favorite memory from this summer? It was the day the Adair County Public Library gave books out to our kids....
read moreTreasured Moments
by Nate I love getting to spend time with the amazing kids that come to the PEACE Program! I have had so many fond memories through the years of getting to learn, and laugh, and live life with our kids. One of the things that I have discovered throughout the years of being a volunteer, is that you can tell alot about how they’re doing by looking into their eyes. You can look and get a deeper glimpse of where they are–how their day went and how they’re truly feeling. One of my favorite things to do as the kids first enter the PEACE...
read moreLove is a Game-Changer
by Larissa We’re twenty minutes into the PEACE Program and I’m sitting at one of the tables in the homework room. Currently, I’m encouraging the young girl beside me to begin working on her character venn diagram. She has yet to be persuaded. The front door opens quietly, admitting one seven year-old boy. He stands at the threshold, looking at me, waiting for some sort of instruction. I smile and greet him warmly. This might only be his first week of the semester enrolled in the program, but he’s no stranger to PEACE. He takes a step towards...
read morePEACE Makers
By Amy A. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Boy, I tell ya. The PEACE Program is the place to be. I’ve been counting (or, rather, just running the program every day), and I think there have been around a million new developments around here of late. For one thing, PEACE is a real, live, actual acronym now. That’s right. P-E-A-C-E stands for… drumroll please… Proactive Educational Assistance in a Caring Environment I’m only announcing this now because I’m even...
read moreWhy We Laugh
by Michael We at the PEACE Program love kids, especially the kids we see every day. You could ask any one of our volunteers if this is true, and the answer would be an immediate and fervent, YES! We don’t just say we love them either, we show it. One of my favorite memories from the PEACE Program is a day when Andrew came to help out after having surgery on his knee. He was still walking on crutches, but he figured himself mobile enough to help kids with homework. He had just sat down and begun helping one kid when another ran up, stole his...
read moreGood Times & Green Tape
By Amy A. This is how it goes. One of us walks through the door with a duct-taped box or a couple of not-currently-colored Walmart bags. We send the word throughout the building for everyone to leave their cleaning or food prep and come see our “new” donations. It’s Christmas morning at the PEACE Program. Even though this is obviously stuff that nobody wanted–not the church, or the school, or the daycare, or kids’ church–we’re super excited, because we can probably find a way to use pretty much...
read moreWalking in Victory
by Andrew A few weeks ago, as I got out of my car, I was greeted by two of our kids waiting expectantly on the pavement of the parking lot next to #20. Now, I thought it was sweet that they were waiting for me to get to the PEACE Program, and I loved the hugs that they showered upon me. But, I quickly realized that the end goal of their affection, the prize they had set their hearts on, was not me. Before I could close the door of my car, they both jumped into my front seat and, “HONK, HONK, HOOOONNNNKKK, HOOOOOOOOONNNNNNKKKKK!” Yup. I fell...
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