These young ladies started with the SCM programs at the age of 7 and 8. Akilah has worked with SCM for the last 6 years. These young ladies share what they have learned at SCM with our current after school and camp kids. They encourage the kids to stay in school and do their best. Their lives demonstrate and I hear them tell the kids, "You can go to college. Strive to be a good person at heart. Treat people with respect. Cope with life challenges in a positive way . . . "
Who knew that when we taught Ky'rie and Ashley about the love of God in a VBS summer camp lesson 14 years ago, that they would be teaching this same lesson and demonstrating it themselves, years later to our current kids.
Our desire is to be able to continue to instill positive and encouraging values that will help the children and teens grow and flourish in their academics, social skills, character building, problem solving, and their desire to try to be the best that they can be.
Please consider giving an end of the year gift to help support SCM programs to inner city youth.
Thank you!
Our SCM Teachers Share
Akilah Harris here!
This will be my sixth year celebrating the Christmas Holidays with Summerhill Community Ministries and I love being a part of this process. I thoroughly enjoy the days leading up to the actual program, when we teach the children about the birth of Jesus Christ. Just seeing their eyes open with the knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas is so fulfilling.
And on the day of the program, no matter how chaotic or hectic it may have been; it is always worth it to see children who, at one time, have shed tears for one reason or another during the year smile and laugh like they have just won the lottery.
Being here year after year gives me more of an appreciation for my own family and all that I have. This place has become a second home and the staff and children have become a second family. I love being refreshed with the knowledge of Christ and the spirit of giving and celebrating here, does just that.
Kyrie Redding
Christmas for my family is kind of a big deal. It’s filled with family, fun, music, dancing, and I mustn’t leave out the food. Every since I can remember, there has always been this “unspoken tradition” that the family follows.
We are all at our separate homes and we wake up around 7 or 8, depending on the age of the youngest child, we gather around the tree and we pray. We pray thanking God for the many blessings he’s bestowed upon us along with a plethora of personal prayers. Afterwards, the parents or grandparents start to cook breakfast while the children call my great-grandmother, whom I call “Big Mamma”, to wish her a “Happy Birthday”. This year she will be 93 years old. After phone calls have been made and breakfast has been eaten, it’s finally time for the kids’ favorite part…PRESENTS!!
After presents have been opened and the children have gotten the opportunity to play with their favorite gadget out of their bunch of Christmas presents, everyone gets dressed to ensure that we are at “Big Mamma’s” house no later than 3 pm. There are certain rules you must follow upon entering the house; the first and most important is: You must have two separate gifts in your hand, a Christmas gift and a birthday gift. From there, it’s all about enjoying the company of the family. It’s because of this that I look forward the Christmas every year!
Ashley Dix
Let me start off by saying Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year! I love waking up to that delicious turkey smell in the morning. I love being able to come together with my family to open gifts and stuffing my face with good food. From the cold weather to the bright lights and decorations, I love it all!
But most of all, I love that we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. One thing we do to recognize this is to have devotion on Christmas morning. During this time, we talk about the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We also read scriptures from the Bible and pray at the end.
I just love doing this, because so many people get caught up in the presents, food, etc. We can’t overlook His birth, because if Christ wasn’t born, who knows what this world be like. Jesus is the real reason for the season.
