Good Shepherd UCC
Public Education Ministry

5122 West Esplanade Avenue - Metairie, LA 70006
Sheila Allred – Coordinator
Contact: sheallred@gmail.com
Home 504-838-9214 cell 504-250-1052
Working with Lisa Mains Saley Fou ndation for Kids, Inc.
www.Lisa4Kids.org

 Good Shepherd UCC Book Ministry is working along with the Lisa Mains Saley Foundation, Inc, to coordinate the efforts of many to help get books to the young, innocent victims of Hurricane Katrina. Through our program many churches and other groups are making donations of new and like-new books and educational materials for children Pre-K – 8 th grade. 

Sheila Allred is the coordinator and contact for the Book Ministry at GSUCC
Please contact Sheila BEFORE collecting books and materials.

 We are constantly developing exciting ways and opportunities to embrace both the children, and the institutions that affect the children’s lives, in positive ways. Our educational ministry is growing very quickly and there are many avenues for participation by individuals, groups, churches or schools:

Kids Love Books Program – You may donate new and like-new books which are given to children through “Comfort and Joy Parties” a program developed by the Lisa Main Saley Foundation, which has been doing parties across the Gulf Coast since the storm. Many children have lost so much, including their books. 

“There are many books that will be very happy to be adopted by a child.”

These parties give volunteers and the foundation an opportunity to meet and interact with the children as well as tell them about the wonderful people that care enough to send them books for their very own. The parties and book distributions will continue throughout the summer wherever the kids are.  Once schools are back in session we will have “Welcome Back Parties.”

Including your books in the parties creates a wonderful window of opportunity to promote the culture of reading in the child’s home setting.

Books for School Libraries – You may donate specifically to school libraries that lost part or all of their collections.  If you are interested in helping to rebuild a school library collection, we can put you in direct connection with a contact at a school library who will know best what their site needs. 

Books for Classroom Collections – Donations to a classroom, of sets of books with a specific title or classroom libraries with many titles, would enrich the language arts curriculum.   If your group wants to participate in this way, then a teacher from one of the schools would be in contact to let you know what they need for a specific grade level. 

Teaching Curriculum Materials –It may be possible to donate up-to-date and usable materials to teachers who have lost their own personal teaching materials. Once we confirm a need, the materials would be directed to a specific teacher.

Educational Aids – like-new sports equipment, musical instruments, cosmetology supplies, and science equipment etc. may be donated to area public schools through the GSUCC educational ministry.

Adopting a School, Classroom, Teacher, Grade – A person selected by the school’s principal would contact your group with a wish list for the teachers, P.E. programs, literacy programs, science materials, etc. In this upcoming ’06-’07 school year, many of the schools are starting with the most basic needs.

Monetary donations –Through your monetary donations we can purchase items from vendors in the Gulf Coast. This helps the libraries and our local economy.

Ordering directly from the distributor also maximizes your dollars by avoiding additional mailing expenses.

Pen Pals Project – Children could correspond with students from one of the schools in this area, developing a personal connection through the schools and possibly developing a project between your group and our school.

If there is some other special way you would like to participate, please let us know.

*Please note again that you should contact Sheila Allred BEFORE collecting materials for any of these programs!!

 

THANK YOU!!!

Good Shepherd UCC would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the many groups and individuals who have sent books, or plan to send books or materials for us to share throughout our community.