• By Teresa Bryant
• Posted Thursday, July 15, 2010

Student Life Group Gives Service and Smiles!

We are in the lazy, hot days of summer, but that was no challenge for a Student Life group of mission workers from Raleigh, NC. Generous students from Fuqual Varina Presbyterian Church - Youth Mission Group, spent twelve hours serving two local families.

One grandmother headed family with three grand children had their mobile home painted with a fresh coat of paint. The grandson said, “I know what today is… my house is going to look great when I come home today.” Another family headed by a grandmother received supplies to make minor repairs to her home in the future by another resource, assistance with finding a home for her dog, ‘Dee’ and fellowship.

The families participate in a program called Relatives as Parents Program, RAPP. The RAPP program serves caregivers parenting children who are not their biological children and is operated through the Family and Children’s Division of Forsyth County Social Services.

The youth mission group was coordinated by Lydia Tatum of Fuqual Varina Presbyterian Church and the Student Life component was coordinated by Melissa Nicholson, Mission Project Specialist. RAPP Program Coordinator Teresa Bryant served to organize the collaborative efforts among the church, the students and the anonymous donor of the supplies.

The Student Life team on this project included: Stephanie Allison, Billy Bachman, Matthew Bonestell, Jessica Bonestell, JD Hambrey, Kim McCaskill all coordinated by Lydia Pratt Tatum, Director of Youth Ministries, from Fuqual Varina Presbyterian Church, in the Raleigh Triangle area.

The National Student Life Organization in Birmingham, Alabama allows youth and adults to serve communities. The nation-wide conferences are held each summer with host cities receiving community service projects to area families with energetic smiling faces from the mission workers.

RAPP extends a special thank you to the anonymous donor of the supplies as well as the hopes and smiles shared and created by the Student Life Project and Staff.