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Chapter 3: Building Relationships

Mission
Beginning with the working relationship between St. Paul's and the Woodville School Community, the Micah Initiative seeks to transform lives to the glory of God.

September 2000-August 2001

St. Paul’s and Woodville started the new school year strong. Jannie Laursen created an orientation and training plan for Micah volunteers that she and Nan Ellen Ritsch implemented at the beginning of the year. Each tutor/mentor received a kit with helpful materials. This year, teachers from all grades requested mentors. Trust had been established and had overcome initial skepticism on the part of staff and faculty, who had been disappointed with broken promises from other groups who’d come to help at Woodville in the past. Mrs. Person praised the effects of the Micah Initiative in helping to build a renewed spirit of cooperation at Woodville.

Because of Micah’s success and growth, a special committee was formed, led by Ruby Martin and David White, to hold interviews with representatives for St. Paul’s congregation and staff. The committee would evaluate Micah and determining how this program and a paid coordinator could become fully integrated within the present church structure. Betsy Carr was hired as a consultant to coordinate the Micah Initiative and to lead it to the next phase of development. The Micah Committee, chaired by Buford Scott, began meeting monthly, beginning and ending each meeting with prayer. Two meetings each year were designated for evaluation and strategic planning. The committee recommended to the Vestry in February that the current operating structure of the Micah Initiative should continue until a new long-range plan for the church was completed.

Word of our partnership spread and in January, 2001, representatives of Micah presented a report at the Annual Diocesan Council. Locally, St. Stephen’s and St. James’s Episcopal Churches requested presentations on our partnership. A Micah-on-the-Road team was formed.

This school year built on the growing relationship between Woodville staff, faculty and volunteers. Volunteers were supported in their efforts. St. Paul’s was building a relationship with the school and the community. It had empowered the staff with its cooperation and enthusiasm, and our efforts had led to overall school improvement.

The following mission statement for the Micah Initiative was created:

“Beginning with the working relationship between St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Woodville School Community, the Micah Initiative seeks to transform lives to the glory of God.”

SUMMER 2001

This summer, two classes of rising first graders—28 students—attended the Summer Academy Down on the Farm, July 3-August 8. Naomi Dilligard and Delois Vaughan were teachers, with Gail Skippers and Vernell Gray as classroom aides. Tighe Antrim, assisted by Page Luxmoore, coordinated field trips for the students to Maymont, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Meadow Farm Museum, Brookview Farm, Ukrops Supermarket and Stratford Hall, a working farm. Over 30 volunteers from St. Paul’s, coordinated by Nan Ellen Ritsch, worked in the classroom each day and chaperoned the trips. The East End Health Center, with parishioner Sheena Mackenzie as director, coordinated health assessments for the students.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Woodville was assigned full-time art, music and P.E. teachers, perhaps as a by-product of Micah’s involvement.
  • A cooperative effort with Elk Hill School for Boys was established, through a Micah member’s involvement.
  • Virginia Prevent Blindness sponsored vision screening through a Micah member’s help.
  • The St. Paul’s Boy Scout troop helped to build a Habitat for Humanity house on 28th Street, near Woodville.
  • St. Paul’s funded two summer school teachers and aides, 90 turkeys for Thanksgiving, Minds in Motion program for the 4th grade, fees for cultural activities throughout the year, supportive materials for tutors and Betsy Carr’s salary as Micah consultant.
  • Volunteers were invited to help serve at the Woodville Holiday Dinner, an annual event for students and families.
  • A combined Woodville/St. Paul’s community worship service on All Saints' Day, An Evening of Remembrance, was held for the first time.
  • The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration was another great success, with large attendance of teachers and staff, as well as students, their families and volunteers.
  • Volunteers read to classes as part of Read Across America Day.
  • The Fine Arts Commission was founded to encourage and support students and to possibly explore building a community arts center.
  • Strategic planning meetings were held in February and June. Community celebrations with the Woodville teachers and administration and St. Paul’s volunteers were held in the fall and spring.

OTHER CHALLENGES:

  • Finding quiet space for volunteers to work with students.
  • Finding ways to serve Woodville parents.
  • Volunteers needed more input and direction from teachers.
  • There was still tension and struggles to integrate Micah within the existing church structure.
  • Because of scheduling problems, no relationship developed between Woodville students and St. Paul’s youth.
  • Statistical documentation and evaluation of the program proved difficult.
  • More communication was needed between school and church communities.
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