North Church will receive the Celebrating Youth offering on June 4, which is both Pentecost and Confirmation Sunday. The Celebrating Youth offering will replace the PC(USA) Pentecost Offering this year. One hundred percent of the Celebrating Youth offering will be sent to the ENERGY and FLY Afterschool Programs of WEDI (Westminster Economic Development Initiative).

The ENERGY program for children in grades 1-6 meets at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Buffalo. Most of the children are from refugee families. The children receive a ”home” cooked meal, help with homework, tutoring, and love from a volunteer mentor. FLY, for middle school refugee students, is housed at Lafayette High School. Participants receive homework help, instruction in English, and tutoring in a setting that also helps them to adjust to life in a new country with a new language.

When refugee children register for school they are placed in the grade that corresponds with their age, whether or not they have attended school before, had long interruptions in their schooling, or understand English. They struggle to catch up and keep up. Programs such as ENERGY and FLY provide help that is essential to their academic success. Please give generously.