| From the Director,
Eric Lindh |
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As an organization that witnesses transformational experiences in the lives of children and young adults on a regular basis, I am excited that this new e-newsletter format will allow us to better communicate the many wonderful stories that take place at Project Transformation in a more timely and cost-effective way. I am well aware of the overuse of e-marketing, and I can assure you that Project Transformation will limit our e-newsletter to six per year at the most.
Not only have we just finished up another successful year of after-school programs at Project Transformation, but we witnessed a dream come true before our very eyes this past year: the first former youth participant turned PT college intern!
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| Intern Spotlight |
David Windler
David Windler is the Site Coordinator of the Walnut Hill UMC/Christ Foundry site, overseeing the program of interns and children. He is returning this year for his second summer of service!
David currently attends Baylor University with a focus of pre-med.
Continue Reading to learn about how Project Transformation has made an impact on David's outlook on life and ministry. |
| Wish List Items |
In providing daily summer programming for children and youth, Project Transformation depends on in-kind donations from its supporters. We are so thankful to those who have given, and are in need of more supplies and items to continue the work we do in our communities!
If you are interested in donating, please visit our wish list page, for specific needs! |
| Sponsor a Youth to attend Urban Camp |
Urban Camp, held at Bridgeport Camp and Conference Center, is the culmination of our summer experience and provides a unique opportunity for 170 of our youth to deepen relationships with our college interns, experience God in new ways, and have fun! For many of the youth, this is their first time away from home. The impact of Urban Camp on our youth is experienced for a lifetime: teambuilding, skill development, and a chance to succeed. $165 sends one middle-school youth to Urban Camp for one week. Click here to make a gift and provide an experience that will last a lifetime. |
| Site Churches
Summer 2009 |
Casa Linda UMC
Chapel Hill UMC
Elmwood UMC
Oak Cliff UMC
Pleasant Mound UMC
St. Mark's UMC
Trinity UMC
Walnut Hill UMC/
Christ Foundry
Wesley Rankin
Community Center
We would love for you to visit one of our sites this summer and volunteer! Click here for ways to become involved with one of our site churches. |
We're building our list of online contacts! Please click here if you would like to receive the PT Connection!
(approximately 6 per year) |
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| Welcome to the PT Connection!
Project Transformation is excited to be joining the electronic age! More and more partners have been asking us, "Do you have an e-newsletter?" And it only makes sense, as most of us are online more than we are offline. So, we proudly share with you our first edition of The PT Connection, where in each issue we will share the success stories of what is happening at Project Transformation, and "connect" you with opportunities to become more involved!
And what better time to begin than the summer? On May 30th, 98 college interns arrived in Dallas to begin their 10 week experience of serving children, families and communities. Read more in our story below! You will also find a recap of our 2008-2009 After School Program, the results of Dallas Giving Day and an overview of our first Partners in Transformation luncheon.
Just so you know, Project Transfomation will continue to produce a print newsletter every so often, that you will receive by mail. We hope you enjoy our online endeavors! Please share with us your feedback...and maybe even forward this on to a friend. |
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98 Interns Begin PT Summer '09!
Nine Sites Kicked Off Program on June 8th!
 To most people, summer officially starts when their kids get out of school, or vacation begins. Here at Project Transformation, summer began on May 30, when 98 college interns moved onto the campuses of Southern Methodist University and Austin College. After move in and a week of training to prepare for their summer of service, the program officially began on June 8th, at 9 sites in North Texas.
Eight weeks of summer day camp are held at United Methodist churches and community centers throughout North Texas, June 8-July 30. Over 900 children and youth will attend this summer, participating in Bible lessons, arts and crafts, reading comprehension, recreation and more. A daily, healthy lunch is provided by the North Texas Food Bank, as well as snacks and nutritional guidance. The program serves children in low-income areas of North Texas, many of whom would be left unsupervised at home during the day.
So far this summer, our Wesley Rankin youth age group has gone to a FC Dallas soccer game, Oak Cliff has held a dance camp for its elementary age girls-- at one site, there has even been a wedding! Click here to read some of the stories that have come from summer 2009 so far, as interns continue to impact the lives of these children and youth in a remarkable way. |
Dallas Day of Giving benefits PT!
DonorBridge Launch on May 20th Translated into Many Gifts for PT!
 The launch of DonorBridge, an online giving software created by the Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, and the Center for Non-Profit Management, has been the buzz of the Dallas non-profit community! Project Transformation donors, volunteers and partners took part in a Day of Giving, on May 20th, where these 3 groups made matching dollars available to those agencies using DonorBridge.
We are pleased to announce that through DonorBridge's Day of Giving, Project Transformation received $21,000! We are thrilled to have been a part of this program, and urge individuals to visit DonorBridge who haven't yet; to see the power of non-profit giving tools in North Texas. Visit our DonorBridge page, and tell a friend!
Thank you to all who gave to and supported this campaign. The reason this day was possible was because of generous supporters like those of PT. |
2009 Leighton K. Farrell Award
Esther Grabow Named 2009 Recipient of Award of Leadership and Vision
Project Transformation proudly announces Esther Grabow as this year's recipient of the Leighton K. Farrell Award for Leadership and Vision. Dr. Farrell, one of the founders of Project Transformation, provided the initial leadership and vision for the organization. His commitment to his vision resulted in partner church relationships, as well as effective collaborations with SMU and Texas Methodist Foundation. We are deeply grateful that an anonymous donor has made possible the Leighton K. Farrell award to remember the leadership and vision of Dr. Farrell. This award provides a tangible way to acknowledge the efforts and focus of the PT interns in exemplifying the leadership and vision of Dr. Farrell.
Esther has been involved with Project Transformation since 2007. She has served as an intern at our Oak Cliff UMC site, and this year, serves as the house pastor and program director of the Sherman/Denison team at Trinity UMC. Esther graduated in May from Oklahoma City University, with a double major in World Religion and Business Administration, and will be attending seminary this fall at Boston University.
Congratulations Esther! |
After School Program
Six After School Sites Celebrate the Successes of the 2008-2009 School Year!
Many people, when they hear the words, "Project Transformation", think about our summer program. That is the origin and largest component of our program. But of equal importance is our After School Program, that takes place Monday-Thursday, 3pm-6pm. Six site locations in urban areas of Dallas serve approximately 250 elementary and youth. Our site coordinators at these six locations plan age appropriate programming and provide homework assistance, as well as an after school meal supplied by the North Texas Food Bank.
The most important part of the after school program is the relationships that are built between intern and child. Throughout the school year, interns are able to get to know the children and youth, and become positive mentors in their lives. Eddie Newton, site coordinator at Pleasant Mound UMC, shares this perspective on his experience in the After School Program: "I have learned a lot this year, probably more than I realize. I have learned that kids absorb information at an incredible rate. I have also learned that children are one of the best examples of love you can find. I have lost count on the number of hugs and drawings I have received from my kids. Another way they show love is by being very forgiving. If you make a mistake or if you discipline them for something, they may be upset, but they do not hold it against you. It seems that later that day or the next that they have forgotten all about it. At the end of the program, all of the kids and parents were sad that it was over. However, they were very thankful and grateful for what we had done throughout the year."
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Over 300 Attend First Partners in Transformation Luncheon!
Luncheon Speakers, Testimonials Share Vision and Passion Behind PT.
 At Lovers Lane UMC on April 16th, over 300 individuals spent their lunch hour listening to, laughing with and learning more about those that Project Transformation has impacted. The first ever Partners in Transformation luncheon was emceed by co-founder Sarah Wilke, and shared the stories of interns, children, and revitalized churches. Moises Hernandez, our first college intern who comes to us as a former youth of the program, spoke about how one intern made a remarkable difference in his life, and how the program inspired him to graduate, and go to college to pursue teaching. Megan Davidson, spoke about how her summer experience at PT led her to seminary, during a commissioning service where "the words spoken were just for her", and changed her life in a powerful way.
The luncheon was also an opportunity to financially invest in the future of Project Transformation. PT raised over $35,000 toward 2009 summer programming during this luncheon, and over $70,000 in multi-year pledges! We are so thankful to those who gave toward sponsoring a child, intern or community. We look forward to hosting this event again in 2010!
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 Summer Tour Dates
Thursday, July 9 at 11 am
Wednesday, July 22 at 9:30 am
RSVP to reserve your place on the tour! Contact Kristin Kelley for more information, and to sign up. We look forward to sharing what God is doing in the life of this ministry this summer!
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We hope you've enjoyed your first installment of the PT Connection! Look for our 2nd edition to hit your inbox in August!
Until then, stay "connected" to all the work God is doing through this ministry by visiting our web and social networking sites often!
Project Transformation Blog
Have a wonderful and blessed summer! We hope to see you at Project Transformation soon! |
| Project Transformation would like to thank the following partners for providing fully donated meals for our summer interns during training week:
Olivella's Pizzaria (McFarlin and Hillcrest)
Peggy Sue BBQ (Daniel and Snider Plaza Dr)
Bubba's Dallas (Hillcrest Ave)
Next time you're heading out to eat in Dallas, consider these great restaurants! And thank them for supporting Project Transformation! |
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Welcome to Project Transformation's First Online Newsletter!
