Welcome an Old Friend and New Director of Monroe Circle LeRoy King

As of December 1st, LeRoy King will move from an amazing volunteer leader of MC3's The Gathering to Director of the Monroe Circle Community Center.

Anyone that has attended The Gathering on Tuesday nights knows LeRoy's heart and passion for the families living in the Monroe Circle neighborhood. He will now bring these same skills to help lead the kids, families and volunteers of MC3 to the next level of opportunity and hope.

LeRoy will assume the role of telling the story of MC3 on this blogsite and it is my hope that every now and then he will allow me to be a guest contributor every now and then. In addition to volunteering at one of my favorite hangouts (MC3 that is!) I will be working to help eliminate female infanticide and feticide in southern India via The Rhema Project.

Please help me welcome LeRoy King!

Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Punkin Pie!!!

Yesterday was a good day for eat'n! SonCity Kids at Monroe Circle and Edison Gardens held their annual Thanksgiving Dinner.... well more like a banquet!

Lot's of great food, friendships built and everyone went home to take a nap!

Also, on Saturday SCK Washington Gardens in Elkhart started the holiday season off on the right path with their first annual Thanksgiving Feast.

This time of year is always a good time to reflect back on how far God has brought you and all that He has provided. Just a few years ago, an old building on the corner of Taylor Streets and Western Avenue was quiet and dark with not much of anything going on with no hope in sight. Today, it is the cornerstone to community transformation. Same can be said about Edison Gardens and the amazing shifts toward a better day becoming the normal.

My prayer is that we will always take time to remember this journey and be very, very thankful!

Buzz is Up at MC3

Today we expanded MC3's after-school program to include LEAP remediation and Compass Learning. The volunteers were excited, the kids were adding volume and energy to the education center. I had a chance to briefly talk to Rebecca Mashon, LEAP teacher from Madison Primary Center as she was leaving. As she watched the volunteers from GCC, Bethel College and Penn High School walk the kids back to their homes all she could keep saying was this is going to be very, very good - I can't wait for tomorrow!

Amy Kring, our SCK after-school coordinator deserves so much of credit for where we are at. She has stood in the gap, believing in this kids and coaxing volunteers to invest their time and talent. She is doing something great and even state and local educational leaders understand she is leading something new... something exciting... something very, very special.

If interested... we and the kids still really need you!

Prediction - Deizmond will be a Great Man

This afternoon I had the privilege of having a late lunch with my friend Deizmond. We were celebrating his good grades on his report card. Deizmond has been coming to MC3 for the last couple of years and is a regular at the after-school program. We work on his history, math and reading homework. Lately, I've been helping him with a few speed reading and comprehensive techniques.

He is a bright young man that will go far. But his is not what impressed me the most. Deizmond will become a great man because he is already a amazing young boy with outstanding character and a sharing heart!

As we finished our meal he opened his backpack and pulled out a $5.00 McDonald's gift card he had received as a reward for hard work at school. He could have saved it for himself but he didn't. He asked if he could use it to buy 4 double cheese burgers - one for each of his four brothers and one for his mom. He wanted to share his success and his rewards with his family.

I have so much to learn from Deizmond. Most times I give from my excess. Deizmond gives from all he has.

Dr. Tony Bennett to Visit MC3

UPDATE....

Had a great turn out on Tuesday with not only Dr. Bennett visiting MC3 but Superintendent Kapsa, Principal Buysee of Madison School and several members of the media. Amy Kring, our amazing After-school Coordinator did an outstanding job.

Here is the link to the South Bend Tribune article. We also had great coverage on the local ABC affiliate.

Please join us if you are in the area on Tuesday afternoon. We have invited the news media to learn more from Dr. Bennett, Superintendent Kapsa, Principal Buysee and Coordinator Amy Kring on how we are going to impact the lives of 55 kids from the Monroe Circle neighborhood.

Media Alert

Dr. Tony Bennett, State Superintendent of Public Schools to recognize new partnership between Monroe Circle and South Bend Community School Corporation to provide after-school remediation program.

WHAT: Monroe Circle Community Center is expanding its after-school program to include Compass Learning (web-based learning) and LEAP remediation by partnering with the South Bend School Corporation.

WHY: 55 grade school children (1st thru 4th grade) have been tested and are presently 6 to 18 months behind grade standards established by state and federal guidelines. 90% of African males and 70% of minorities presently do not graduate from high school with their classmates.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 5:15 p.m.

WHERE: Monroe Circle Community Center, 526 W. Western Avenue, South Bend, IN 46601

WHO: Monroe Circle Community Center was established by Granger Community Church through its separate not-for-profit organization (“EnterMission, Inc.) to provide individuals and families living in the Monroe Circle area with opportunities to be transformed from a people existing in a low-income, subsidized housing neighborhood to a vibrant community that cares for and dignifies the elderly and disabled as well as edifies, equips and guides people to a point of self sufficiency.

Madison Primary School and the South Bend Community School Corporation will be providing certified teachers, non-certified support staff and curriculum that will better enable students to close their learning gap before it becomes insurmountable.

Additional volunteers will be provided by Granger Community Church, Bethel College as well as residents and parents from the community to provide not only a focused learning environment but one that has a low student to adult/teacher ratio.

Goal: To equip these students so that they move from the lower third of their class to 70% of these students will be testing on or above grade level by May 2010 and 85% achieving this level by January 2011.

Sabado Segundo!

Yesterday afternoon I was visiting with Amy Kring's sister (Emily) who works in Mexico as a missionary to Mexican college students. She was sharing that they were trying to build a deeper and greater community impact and were struggling on how best to accomplish it.

Amy was telling her sister about our 2nd Saturday events and they thought they would give it a try. So last Saturday while the food pantry, cafe and SonCity Kids was going on at MC3 we were also sending teams to the VET Center at the Center for the Homeless, boxing food boxes at Feed the Children, working at Manowe and reaching into the Elkhart community at Washington Gardens.

Simultaneously, 2000 miles away in Mexico City followers of Jesus were playing with children at an orphanage, bring joy to seniors confined to a hospital and telling woman that have resorted to prostitition as their only means of survival that they matter to God. Emily shared that everyone was excited (staff, students and guests) and there was such a "buzz in the air" that they were already planning next month's event. As she retold each event the stories of Jesus came alive again in my mind.

I think when the walls of the church come down and we move from simply telling people who Jesus is to showing them who He is something spiritual almost magical happens and a Kingdom party can't help but break out!

Sustantivo Jesus por Sabado Segundo!

Notre Dame Swimmers Get Out of the Pool to Make a Difference!

Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 9:15 AM

What do you do when you are a college student, given the weekend off by your coach, no home football game to attend and its the forecast for South Bend, Indiana is cold, overcast and a chance of rain? A) Sleep in B) Head out of town with your friends to Chicago C) Go home to visit parents D) Wake up early to go build into the lives of 50 inner city kids.

If you are 15 guys from the University of Notre Dame Men's Diving Team you drag yourselves out of your warm bed, head downtown to the Monroe Circle Community Center and go "all in" when asked to befriend 50 inner city grade school kids during SonCity Kids/2nd Saturday. When most volunteers show up for the first time they typically step back and observe. Not these 15 keys - they jumped right in. They played board games, they painted tier own and the kids' faces, they kicked a soccer ball around the Cove parking lot, they shared their donuts with the kids so that the kids would have a little bit extra, they walked the kids back home at the end of the day.

They made a difference in the lives of these kids. They gave them hope for a better tomorrow. they allowed the kids to dream what their lives might be like. These guys brought God's Kingdom from Up There to Down Here.

You could see it in the faces of the kids from Monroe Circle. They wanted to be just like these guys when they grow up. Truth be told - so do I!

Congratulations Greg!

Greg finishes the Ironman World Championships in 13:52.05!!!

Last Saturday morning Greg ran into the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean to fulfill his dream of competing in the Ironman World Championship race held in Kona, Hawaii. A little less than 14 hours later he crossed the finish line after swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and then running a full marathon.

He competed for the families of Monroe Circle and the Monroe Circle Community Center. He wore a jersey with the MC3 logo to help bring awareness to the community center and our common goal to provide families an opportunity to move to a place of self-sufficiency.

Greg and his wife Heather are headed back from Hawaii today. In the next few weeks he will be speaking at The Gathering (Tuesday night 6:30 PM) as well as to the SonCity Kids and the adults working on their GED program.

Congratulations Greg! You are an inspiration to all of us!!!

Second Saturday Makes A Difference

Second Saturday is joining forces with Make A Difference Michiana on Saturday, October 10th during their national volunteer serve day. Nationally, there will be over

One Million People

serving in their local communities - giving a helping hand to those that are in most need of help.

Make A Difference is a charitable organization but they would not necessarily classify their mission to be faith-based but we are excited to stand beside them as we lend a helping hand to those in our community that have been marginalized.

As always one of our core sites is Monroe Circle Community Center where scores of volunteers will be helping serve guests in our cafe, helping them carry their food box to their car or across the street, playing with kids from the neighborhood (SonCity Kids) and giving hope to everyone we meet.

Plus, about the time we finish our work on Saturday morning, Greg Macklem will be wading into the Pacific Ocean wearing the MC3 banner to start his swimming leg of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Pray that Greg will stay injury free and possibly he will be able to tell the story of MC3!

If you are already serving at MC3, come on the 10th and maybe even think about bringing a friend to volunteer beside you. It's a great way to introduce them to MC3 and Up There Down Here!

Greg Macklem Rides for MC3

Greg beats the odds and is selected to compete in the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship Triathlon!

I think Greg's story is a remarkable one. I heard his story last week for the very first time. Two years ago, he was sitting on the sofa (several pounds overweight!) in the comfort of his home, munching on a bag of potato chips and watching others fulfill their dream to finish the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii.

An Ironman Triathlon consists of swimming in the ocean for 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and then running a full marathon of 26 miles 385 yards - add a time limit, strong winds and 100+ degrees and you realize how difficult the Hawaii Ironman is for most trained athletes.

He asked his wife if she thought he could do compete in a triathlon and she told him she thought he could if he began training. So, he got off his duff and began to train with a friend. Last month he competed in a Triathlon in St. Louis and completed an application to be randomly selected in a lottery for a very few slots in the Hawaiian Triathlon that have been reserved for the "normal" athlete. To his amazement he was one of the 200 people (from thousands) that was selected to compete! So, next week Greg and his family will be leaving for Hawaii to get ready to compete in the race of his life.

As I listened to his story I thought how it paralleled the storyline of so many people trying to break the cycles of generational poverty living at Monroe Circle. They make a commitment to change the direction and focus of their lives and begin to take steps in that direction. Like Greg, early on no one seems to notice and if they do they have their doubts that you will even make it. The volunteers at MC3 may times see themselves as that friend, that mentor that will encourage residents along their journey. The lesson I learned from Greg is that you need to get up every morning and push toward your goal even when you just don't feel like it.

And here's the rest of the story. Greg is riding for Monroe Circle. He will be wearing a MC3 jersey and he will be telling our story and that he was inspired by many of the people from Monroe Circle that have overcome much larger obstacles than competing in a triathlon.

You can also follow Greg's trek on Facebook under a cause called Greg4MC3.