October is Share Your Story Month at GenOn.
Rev. Suzanne Stout of First Christian Church of Des Moines, Iowa shares...
Last year a couple of our high school youth began volunteering in our elementary program of LOGOS and on our kitchen crew for the hour before the high school program begins each week.
Our oldest volunteer is in his 90s, and comes faithfully each week. He attends our training sessions, and seeks to get to know the families and the children throughout the year.
We re-aligned our kitchen jobs to better fit the stamina of our older members, and now have two weekly volunteers in their 70s who help with the prep for our meals. And they are helping mentor our high school volunteers in cooking. What a blessing!
Our preschool and nursery (combined) is run by a high school senior. She leads a volunteer crew of four (ranging in age 19 to 60+). She plans and leads the activities and lessons every week. She hopes to attend college to become a teacher - but we all know she already is one.
Our first night of LOGOS this year we actually had volunteers show up whom we didn't plan on. Two of them wanted to be part of LOGOS again so badly that they worked out their schedules to be available on Wednesday evenings and just showed up!
We have completed our 2nd week of our 16th year of LOGOS and we have added a new element of intergenerational connectedness.
One of our high school volunteers from last year is back as a college freshman and is leading our elementary Recreation class - she is studying to be an elementary teacher. One of her helpers is a trained middle school teacher who is also mentoring her - giving her confidence and a sounding board for ways to better be the teacher she desires to be. The first night that relationship is blossoming into something beautiful to behold.
I love LOGOS and the way it supports each person, regardless of age, living out their call to be love and grace. It's gonna be another great year!
So what's your story of the impact of LOGOS or GenOn Youth Summits? Write or video record your story and post on our LOGOS Ideas Facebook Group.
