By Joe Quick, Executive Director of the Friendship Center
Community Breakfast at the Friendship Center
Throughout the year, the Friendship Center works diligently to faithfully serve this vulnerable community in a variety of needed areas. From After-School Kids Club for grades Kindergarten through 5th Grade, Disciples Youth Group for grades 6th through 12th, English as a Second Language class, Mom’s Bible Study, Community Breakfasts, Food Pantry, Summer Camps, and new in 2018, Financial Peace University, Clothing Closet, Game Room, Family Fun Nights, and mental health bible studies.
We are seeing every ministry offered at the Friendship Center rise in attendance and seeing the fruits of your labors extend Christ’s kingdom with 12 children accepting Christ as their savior during our basketball camp this summer. Our After-School Kids club had 536 children walk through our door from November through May. During Summer Camp, we fed over 358 children. Our Disciples Teen Group had 173 teenagers come for dinner with a bible study on Friday Nights. Our Food Pantry has served over 240 individuals, with people as far as Oskaloosa coming to participate on a monthly basis. In August, we set a record of 55 individuals participating in our food pantry. Our back to school night on August 25th had over 250 people from Des Moines visiting the center, looking for supplies. We gave out 90 school backpacks filled with Bibles and supplies. Most visitors were brand new to the center, thanks in large part to a WHO-13 interview showcasing the center.
Summer Basketball Camp
New in 2018, was our Family Fun Nights, where a bingo tournament kicks off the night at 4 pm with monthly prizes of gift cards, toiletries, Bibles, clothes, and any other donations, and then a small group from local churches provide the meal and short bible devotion. So far in 2018, 392 individuals have come for Family Fun Nights.
We have made a tremendous amount of building improvements to the center as well. In July, “Campers On a Mission” repainted our outside building, and Fast Signs created our new outdoor signs that have to brighten up our look. We have replaced our front entryway with a new hollow-metal door, have added ADT Security and have painted every wall inside our building from top to bottom. We now have a children’s library full of books for grades K-5 and a new Teen Group Game room supplied with a pool table, air hockey table, chess, and leather loveseat.
Praise to our Father, we have had 25 new members join the Friendship 100 for just $50 a month, but we still need more church and individual donors to meet our budget requirements. We have created and hired 5 new positions at the center. Ashton Haines is our Program Outreach Coordinator & Kids Club Director, Tenelle Wilder is our Grants and Research Coordinator, Chris Ruter is our Disciples Teen Group Leader and Derrick Bell is our maintenance supervisor. These individuals are an answer to prayer and I believe will help save the Friendship Center through God’s blessing. Please consider allowing the Friendship Center to visit your church and pray for individuals seeking to become a part of a mission field that the Lord will lead them to the Friendship Center.
If you are interested in volunteering at the center, please contact Joe at 515.244.1701 and let’s see where God will use you at the center. We are always in need of Meals, Toiletries, Diapers and School Supplies with School bags donations. If your church, small group or family would consider donating these items, please let us know.
Your efforts, whether hands-on and in person or through collecting items or making financial contributions, make these ministries possible and from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!!!
To learn more about the Friendship Center go to friendshipcenterdsm.org or check out their Facebook page.
