Holy Spirit Episcopal Church is committed to reaching out in service to our neighbors and friends in the community:

SCHOOLS OF HOPE AFTER SCHOOL READING PROGRAM

Holy Spirit is blessed to be the home of a Schools of Hope Reading Club.  This is an after school reading program for children in the first, second and third grades.  It is funded and supported by Heart of West Michigan United Way, and actually comes under the umbrella of the Loaves & Fishes Family Center, a non-profit organization created by members of our church family.  Many church members support the Reading Club by volunteering to listen to children read, providing snacks and supplies, and through small donations of funds.  Since 2008, we have helped children in northern Kent County to improve their reading level by an average of 1.5 years.  Students have come to us from Chandler Woods Charter Academy, Comstock Park Public Schools, Sparta Public Schools, and Kenowa Hills Public Schools.  They are recommended by their teachers after the initial Fall reading assessments.  We feel this program is a very important part of our mission.  If you have any questions about the Reading Club, or you would like to volunteer, contact Mary Macomber by emailing her at hsyetclub@gmail.com.

More information about the Schools of Hope Reading Programs can be found by visiting the Heart of West Michigan United Way's website, or by calling (616)752-8618.

We always need drinks for snack time!  Donations of individual serving size juices or bottled waters are gratefully appreciated.

To read about a July 2010 reading club "field trip" in the Rockford Independent:  click HERE.

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COME GROW WITH US!

The 2011 Loaves & Fishes Community Garden is up and growing--stop by to see it!  All vegetables harvested from our garden were donated to the community through our food pantry.

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ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY

Our congregation has "adopted" a road in our neighborhood:  a one-mile stretch of Pine Island Drive running south from Post Drive to Hayes Road.  Volunteers pick up trash and debris 3 times a year.  We never know what we will find!  Our most interesting find this time out:  a $20 bill, which was designated for the Vicar's Discretionary Fund.