School has started and it is time again to think about an opportunity to support our schools. This is our 10th year of volunteering in our schools. We are in four grade schools: Hamilton, Roosevelt, Jefferson and Dry Creek. Our involvement is greatly appreciated by children, teachers and staff.

Some of the many 2017 Hamilton volunteers.

Many of the tutoring jobs are as simple as reading one on one with a child or practicing basic math facts with flash cards. Most of the jobs are usually 1 hour, once a week. As well as tutoring, we are providing twice monthly baked cookies to the staff and teachers at three grade schools this year.

Classroom Volunteers will start in mid-October.

Signup sheets are at the Connection Center.

Here are the specific opportunities for your consideration:
1. Basic Tutoring in Reading or Writing
2. Basic Tutoring in Math
3. Help Teachers with Paperwork Filing, copying, prep. for art projects, etc.
4. Helping Teachers with Occasional Special Projects
5. Accompany Students on Field Trips
6. Bake Cookies for the Staff

I will be providing information about background checks for tutors in the future.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to all our past volunteers. Our cookies are helping raise morale at the schools. With our classroom volunteers, it's amazing the difference just one hour a week makes in the lives of the children and teachers.
If you have any questions, please call Sheri Stutesman at 452-6139.

The Mission and Outreach committee has served by seeking the will of God in helping to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ both locally and globally. We are thankful for the faithful giving of our members. The session approved our request that they provide 13.5% (thirteen and a half percent) of the total church budget for missions.
    We support Presbyterian Missions, both in our Northwest Coast Presbytery and through the Presbyterian Church (USA) missions worldwide at the general assembly level.
    We also support these missionaries: the Pearsons under JAARS-Wycliffe Translators, the Hongos under Christian Vision. We support the following Presbyterian Church (USA) mission co-workers—Dr. Martha Sommers, Jeff and Christi Boyd and Rev. Renee and Justin Sundberg. If you would like to know how to contact these people and to know what they do, the mission and outreach committee will be happy to connect them to you.

With the closure of Serenity House, TAFY is expecting to get more requests for sleeping bags from homeless individuals.  Do you have one in good condition that you need no longer?  Consider donating them to TAFY. Thank you.

The Answer for Youth is a drop in center that serves homeless and at risk teens and disadvantaged young adults. They have been open for several years now.TAFY was founded with Christian principles, and the founders frequently find opportunities to share their faith with the clients. They believe in a very personal ministry with the youth. In the years that they have been open, they have gone from around five youths a night to up to 70 youths at times! They serve hot food, have a washer and dryer, a shower, full clothes closet, and offer a variety of classes.
       For several years now, they have been cultivating an organic garden, so one of the classes is on cooking the food from the garden! They offer help with medical expenses like prescriptions, eye glasses and first aid. They provide celebrations for holidays, baby showers and birthdays. They are located at 826 East First Street.