10 Jun Partner Spotlight | Neighborhood Focus

Stop by 31 Calhoun Avenue any night of the week and you’ll find a gym filled with second to twelfth graders playing games, working with tutors, and eating dinner together.

Many children in under-resourced families lack a safe or wholesome place to spend their afternoons; their parents work late, and their neighborhoods are not safe. Through free, community-based after-school programs like Neighborhood Focus (NF), kids in Greenville have an opportunity to be supported academically and guided spiritually.

Neighborhood Focus works throughout the school year to influence the Berea neighborhood where their facilities are located. They hope to be a guiding light and blessing to their neighborhood and to the Greenville community as a whole. Their after-school program is a safe and productive environment for under-resourced youths.

Almost by accident, their focus began on its own to narrow to the Hispanic community a few years ago. When they moved to their current facilities on Calhoun, they began to see the demographic of their program shift. Neighborhood Focus’ program director, Will Fallaw, points out the unique opportunity they have discovered. “There aren’t many programs in the Berea area where we work. We have the chance to minister to Hispanic families who are either unchurched or are not in a Bible-teaching church.”

Partnership with families is a key component for NF. By investing in the children throughout the week, their leadership hopes to create the foundation for true, authentic partnership with their parents, too. Every Friday night, club at Neighborhood Focus is open to parents as well as students. Parents are welcome to participate in activities with their children or to work alongside volunteers from local churches. “Family partnership is an area where we want to continue to grow,” Will says.

One way this could become a reality is by the addition of ESL classes this past school year. A couple from Grace Church began working with NF to offer beginner level English classes to non-English speakers. Neighborhood Focus hopes to start the class again in the fall with a new group of students.

When we asked Will to share a story about one child in particular that he has been able to watch grow and change over this year, he laughed and told us, “We have a lot of those.”

“I really connected with one student and his family. He was a third grader. He was struggling with a lot of things going on at home. His mom was sick; I think his home situation was just difficult. He has older siblings, and I think that exposed him to things he was too young for.”

“He had a big anger problem. During our program, he would have huge outbursts- literally throw temper tantrums when he didn’t get his way. At first, I wasn’t sure how to handle it. So we tried being really stern and giving him hard consequences. But all I got in response was more anger and frustration from him.”

As the year went on, the staff and volunteers could see him change. Their relationships with him grew; they began to take the time to talk to him about what was going on in his life. The more they invested in relationship with him, the more receptive he became to their direction and also to what they were teaching about Jesus. The staff was amazed to watch him be transformed through their daily Bible curriculum. He began to understand more about Jesus and more about who he can be through Jesus. “By the end of the year, he didn’t throw tantrums anymore. He was a completely different person. He was changed through his peers, his leaders, and through the God-focused environment at Neighborhood Focus,” Will says.

Like any volunteer-based organization, finding consistent volunteers is always a challenge. Planning and running activities takes time and energy, and many afternoons, they find themselves short-handed when it’s time for program.

There are plenty of opportunities for you to serve with Neighborhood Focus both during the summer and the school year. During the school year, volunteers are needed for one-on-one tutoring, ESL classes, and assistance with meal set up and clean up.  In addition, NF is currently seeking a volunteer to create an arts and crafts curriculum for the fall.

If you’re eager to get started volunteering right away, Neighborhood Focus is offering a summer camp during June and July.  Summer volunteer needs remain largely the same as the school year, needing assistance with meal logistics and donation and preparation of snacks each day.
Volunteering in these capacities may seem simple, but they are integral to Neighborhood Focus as it allows the NF staff to fully focus their energy on the kids who come to the program each day.

By being in the neighborhood and investing in relationships, Neighborhood Focus’ commitment is straightforward. Children get to grow up hearing about God and get to know that they are loved by their leaders and by their Creator.

If you’re interested in serving with Neighborhood Focus, you can contact their volunteer coordinator, Becca Jopling. ([email protected])

Check out their website for more information or opportunities. (www.neighborhoodfocus.org)