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 Relationships are a big part of what Vineyard Community Offerings...well, offers! Relationships that are deep and meaningful are not only personally beneficial and super fun, but break down prejudices, help to bring a community closer together and provide the context for real and lasting empowerment and change. I hope you enjoy the stories we've collected in this issue that highlight the power of relationships in our programs. Whether you've lived in the city your whole life or you're just here temporarily, you won't regret whatever time you give to offering the gift of relationship to those around you! Find out more at www.bostonvineyard.com/communityofferings.
Danny Tao
Executive Director, Vineyard Community Offerings |
The idea for Ladies' Night came from one of our staff members, Stephanie Acker, who, in reflecting on how much she enjoyed getting her nails done, wondered how beauty could both connect and empower women of all cultures. Stephanie shared her thoughts with Anu Kaur, a resident of the Rindge Towers housing development in Cambridge. They both share a passion for affirming and empowering women and had a vision of providing a space where women of all cultures could come, be themselves and connect with other women for fun and mutual support. Together, they turned their idea into a reality and held their first Ladies' Night in the Rindge Towers Community Room on December 5th. During the course of the night, over 100 women-ranging in age from 3 to 73 years old and from nationalities such as Bangladesh, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, India and Somalia -came for a fun, free night where they could take a break, relax, meet new friends and pamper themselves with facials, manicures, henna, threading, hand massages and hair braiding. A snapshot of the evening showed a middle-aged Irish Catholic woman getting henna on her hands from a Bengali-American while a young Pakistani woman had her nails painted by a recent Caucasian-American college grad. What an amazing image of cross-cultural friendship-building! Anu reflected that Ladies' Night was very significant because so many of her neighbors are "working, working, working and lots of people just don't have tons of friends and don't have time to make friends. The night was a great chance to meet people. I've been living in the neighborhood for five years and still there are so many people who I have never met." Karen Stevenson, a member of the Vineyard and the Rindge Towers Core Team, said that the highlight for her was "meeting women from different cultures and backgrounds." As she gave women hand massages, she reflected that it was a "pleasure to pamper a Sudanese woman who was a mother of five and who seemed to particularly enjoy taking time for herself apart from her duties as a mother. Although all the activities around physical beauty were fun and special, there was also something spiritually beautiful and powerful in bringing all the women together from different backgrounds." After Ladies' Night was over, Anu received calls for days from friends and neighbors telling them how much they enjoyed the night and asked when the next one would be. Who knew that nail polish, henna and lots of sweets could be a venue where real friendships could begin to form? | |
I pray every night
And every day I fight
I fight for a better day
Because the world is turning the wrong way.
I believe I can help.
But I can't be the only one taking the first step.
Open your eyes
And realize
That your life is at stake
And there's a chain we need to break.
No more being fake
It's time for the world to awake
No more dreaming
Sitting on your porch watching
Watching the world fall down
All the little kids with a frown
We can all be happy
But we gotta be snappy
We need to make a change
Before you find yourself in the fast lane.
Laura Jean is a high school junior at Cambridge Rindge & Latin and participates in our Friday Nights @ V and Passport programs. She was born in Haiti and moved to Cambridge when she was 9 years old. She started writing poetry a year ago. |
Project MOVE is on the Go!
Project MOVE launched in January with a diverse group of 12 eighth graders...woo hoo! Relationship building with students in existing Vineyard Community Offerings youth programs, such as FN@V, Soccer Nights and Tuesday Game Nights at Rindge Towers, as well as with programs at nearby Gately Community Youth Center paid off when we were able to gather 12 students for our first cohort.
What is Project MOVE?
Project MOVE is an enrichment program for 8th-10th graders that prepares young people to think critically and act responsibly to improve their lives and their communities. This two-year program is designed to prepare participants for college and beyond and naturally feeds into our Passport program. For more information, check out our website at www.bostonvineyard.org/communityofferings.
How you can help:
- Facilitate theProject MOVE program. Help our staff to run different activities at our weekly workshops on Thursdays from 4-6pm. Or just provide snacks at one or more of our workshops. You can volunteer to personally bring in snacks or donate money that will be used only for snacks.
- Sponsor a Project MOVE student. Be on a student's support team by covering the costs of the program for your student and praying through the regular updates you'll get on your student.
- Call several Project MOVE students weekly. At this age, reminders from a caring adult are critical! You will remind students about the upcoming workshops, to complete their homework assignments and any other special announcements.
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Student Sponsorships...
are a great way to give to the community... and develop a new relationship! Help fund the cost of a Project MOVE or Passport student for one year (for as little as $25 per month) and be part of that student's personal support and prayer team. For more information or to sign up, visit us at www.bostonvineyard.org/communityofferings
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Volunteer Training Reflection
Recent Volunteer Training Equips Many to Empower Others!
On January 10th, over 45 of our current and prospective volunteers came together to learn about and celebrate our vision, core values and approach towards promoting justice, compassion, reconciliation and ethnic diversity in our world. No surprise, we talked about the importance of relationship! "The training was meant to educate us about what the church is doing to serve our neighbors and how we can get involved. It was great to be with so many others in our church that have the same desires," reflected Milena Rubel, a prospective volunteer who attended the training.
Expounding Melina said, "I think it's very important to see the church helping the community...it's a key reason I attend the Greater Boston Vineyard. I want to do volunteer work, but not just be a volunteer. I want to help in a way that will impact people's lives. In the training, I was able to find out exactly what the church is doing in the community and all the ways that I can join in. It helped me to see the possibilities....how I can specifically be engaged."
Our church currently has over 30 programs to mentor youth, serve the homeless, feed the hungry, promote peace and unity, fight sex trafficking and much, much more with over 170 of us within the church who participate! If you're currently a volunteer or would like to consider volunteering, we hope you join us for our next Volunteer Training in the Fall or consider the upcoming 'Developing Your Ministry' training on March 1st 2pm - 5pm.
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