Peace Connections News

  Summertime Celebrations      As has become our tradition, we capped off SEAK (Summer Enrichment Activities for Kids) with the Newton Fire Department blasting us with their firehose! 90 kids that day enjoyed lunch with us at the park. We served an additional 900 meals this summer over 2023, for a total of  over 2,500 lunches to kids and families ! We are thankful for volunteer helpers from across the community who helped transport meals, serve kids, and bring engaging activities.      We petted a chicken, blasted pop bottles of water into the sky and danced to a silly song about dinosaurs. We also learned about the life cycle of plants, combined a bubble machine with a slip-and-slide, and floated a huge, brightly colored parachute above our heads … and that was just before lunch! As these volunteers were bringing their talents and activities to engage the kids, our staff and local restaurant partners were preparing to serve a healthy, nutritional...

Widening the Circle Pictured above: Melodie Tucker (center, red vest) smiles joyfully as graduates celebrate. Story by Tom James.      Melodie Tucker grew up in a home that valued budgeting and money management, and she reached adulthood with sound financial habits and confidence in her ability to thrive in this world. She married, as many of us do, with the hope of working from that solid foundation and building a secure home for her family. Sadly, those plans didn't work out. After years in a difficult and sometimes abusive marriage, she was left with massive debt, low self-image and an ex-husband who refused to contribute to raising or supporting their children beyond the barest minimum required by law. The grief of a failed marriage and the helplessness of her financial situation sent most of that early training by the wayside. Melodie knew that she had to get back to her upbringing, but without a local support structure, she knew she would need help to get ...

 SNEAK PEEK AT SEAK   We're gearing up for a whirlwind of fun with Summer Enrichment Activities for Kids (SEAK) - an action-packed 8-week program for kids to mingle, explore, and chow down on some tasty treats. Geared towards anyone aged 1-18 in Harvey County, this program dishes out free meals and fun activities four days a week. By serving up nutritious meals, breaking social barriers, and rallying community support, SEAK aims to sprinkle some positivity around! Teaming up with awesome community members like YOU lets Peace Connections shine a spotlight on our community's strengths. The African proverb, "I am because we are," perfectly sums up how SEAK can bring us closer, tap into our neighborhood resources, and share good times over a meal. Big thanks to YOU for being a key player in this exciting journey! See you this summer!

  (Originally Published Wednesday, September 20, 2023) In early June, Ellie Wintermote, an only child, got the benefit of the bubbling water play along with the buzz of social time in the park next to New Creation Fellowship in Newton. Because of wanting to provide more social connections for her daughter, as well as to have a mom-daughter date, Jennie Wintermote brought Ellie to Summer Enrichment Activities for Kids (SEAK), sponsored by Peace Connections. Every June through July, the local non-profit offers a free meal to kids, for anyone ages 1-18, and activities four days each week at two sites; the park at New Creation Fellowship and at Immanuel Baptist Church on Anderson Street, which is across town. Ellie and her mom enjoyed the Chinese meal provided by Panda Kitchen and playground equipment at the New Creation site. “We love this program, especially since Ellie is an only child and without other cousins,” said Wintermote, a member of First Mennonite Church in Newton. “This g...

  (Originally Published Monday, November 14, 2022) Even as the leaves start to change, we are still bask-ing in the post-summertime-glow of SEAK (Summer Enrichment Activities for Kids). We had a tremendous summer laughing and learning at the playground and getting to know kids in our neighborhood. We added a second location this year and still continued to see new faces every week. Many thanks go out to our volunteers and community partners who coordinated, transported, played, splashed, encouraged, and shared their talents this summer and emphasized the joy of spending time with others. Our community is blessed with an abundance of relationships and commitments for children, especially from places like Shalom Mennonite Church, New Creation Fellowship, First Mennonite Church in Newton, and Immanuel Baptist Church. This program would not have been possible without them and the oodles of support coming from you! This summer we had a 160% increase in the number of meals served to kids...

 ( Originally Published Tuesday, June 14, 2022) We are gearing up for another fun season of Summer Enrichment Activities for Kids (SEAK), an eight-week program for children to interact with others, learn about community resources, and get a good meal. This program, geared towards kids ages 1-18, offers free programming to any family in Harvey County and puts more meals in the hands of children while simultaneously reducing social isolation and supporting small businesses! With your help, we had a fantastic year in 2021, where we served nearly 1,000 meals to kids and their caretakers and were able to introduce them to new community resources. Icing on the cake- we are partnering with Immanuel Baptist Church to offer a second location for meals and social activities to build even greater community connections this summer!     This will be twice the fun and twice the opportunity to get involved and offer twice the impact. Collaborative partnerships with community member...