Reach Up Program

The Reach Up program has been going very well, and we have children on a waiting list until we can get more volunteers! The new Reach Up program coordinator, Pam Auschwitz, is continuing to do a great job motivating and encouraging students to study.

We started, for this school year, on November 2, 2012 and have had as many as eighteen students on one day, and expect the numbers to increase! Eight of the students have GPA's of less than 1.8, which is not good. A 2.0 GPA is needed to pass to the next grade, so you can see a lot of help is needed. If you are good with math, there are many students who need help with that. We have flashcards available and the students certainly benefit through memorization, so even if math is not your forte, there is something you can do!

You can also volunteer to help the students with other homework as well. You can sit with a student while he or she is using the computer, just to keep an eye on things. You can just be there to mentor them and care for them, spreading the love of Christ!

We really need volunteers to continue making this program successful. We're very flexible — you can choose the amount of time you want to spend whether it's one day a week, one day a month, or anything in between. You can be there from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., or 4:00 - 6:00 pm.

Email Pam at reachup@conwayumc.org There is more information on the Reach Up website at vcs.cc/reachup such as volunteering, snacks, weekend packs, etc.

Thank you for all that you have provided. If you can, we could use some "shelf milk‖ (one-half pint sizes) to send home with the students on the weekend. You can usually find shelf milk near the coffee or hot chocolate cocoa mix area in your grocery store.

Blessings to all from the Reach Up Team!

Just What is "Reach Up"?

Reach Up is a daily afterschool program designed to surround at-risk middle school students with the support and resources they need to overcome the specific challenges that prevent them from thriving.

How did Reach Up get started?

Members of the Conway community involved in various extracurricular programs for high achieving students noticed the lack of similar life-skill-building opportunities for the otherwise "voiceless" group of at-risk students- --the very youth among us with an even greater need for dependable, encouraging input from trusted adults. A task force was formed during the summer of 2010 and met weekly until brainstorming sessions resulted in the clear vision for Reach Up. The formation of vital partnerships with Conway Middle School and Conway United Methodist Church provided Reach Up with two key ingredients to a successful afterschool program: (1) faculty eager to personally challenge at-risk students to get involved and (2) a safe and secure facility conveniently located adjacent to the school.

Who runs Reach Up?

Reach Up is a non-profit outreach of Conway United Methodist Church guided by the Reach Up Task Force of members of the Conway community under the direction of its Family Ministries Coordinator and lead by the Reach Up Intern who will be on-site during all program hours and in charge of dozens of volunteers from the community who mentor students through the multi-station activities including Boone High students fulfilling their community service hours.

How is Reach Up funded?

Thanks to an anonymous gift of $15,000 from a donor at Conway United Methodist Church, members of the Reach Up Task Force are poised to challenge members of the community to build upon that generosity by giving what they are able toward the remaining need to fund the program for the 2011-2012 school year. A grant search committee is currently researching to find available funds through grants for such projects.

Volunteers and funds are needed as this program grows into one of Conway's most important organizations. For the latest information about how to support these brave young boys and girls through Reach Up, updates, and how you can help, please visit the Reach Up website - - vcs.cc/reachup

Tax deductable donations (clearly marked for Reach Up) to support the program can be sent to or dropped off at Conway United Methodist Church, 3401 South Conway Road, Orlando, FL, 32812.