places I love: belle glade

Belle Glade. We have a bit of a love-hate relationship.

Google it and you may see it’s not the easiest place to grow up. But, there are some precious kids there that I love like crazy.

My first experience in Belle Glade was going in 7th grade to help stock a food kitchen. The name of that food kitchen was Lighthouse Cafe. I remember sitting outside this green apartment building playing dominoes with some of the older Haitian men there. In the years to follow, I went  a couple times a year for different projects or outreach events.

But, it wasn’t until 2008 that I really fell in love with this town. I started to go out weekly with a program called Revolution. I actually help teach a Hip Hop class.. haha! It was such a blast. And more importantly, it was really special to be able to get to know the children and spend time with them consistently.

A few programs have come and gone since then… but I have been able to maintain a relationship with some of these girls since they were in Kindergarten! They are now in 6th grade (hard to believe).

The past year we have been using the Lighthouse Cafe (the same place I first went to) to meet after school on Wednesdays. We work on homework together, play games, talk about boys, and learn about Jesus. It is truly one of the highlights of my week.

Currently I have 4-7 girls coming out each week. And there are more girls that want to come… but I need help.

I would LOVE to have a few other ladies (16 years or up) come out with me each week. These girls just need friends, mentors, someone who can consistently show them they matter and Jesus loves them.

If you are interested… Please contact me at allthingsdearblog@gmail.com.. or leave a comment below!