When the kids in Lubbock Impact’s Children’s Ministry excitedly run through the doors and head up the stairs, waiting to see what activities are ahead, they don’t see the seeds being planted. Volunteers show up week after week, continuing to welcome them in with open arms, sowing, maintaining, and fostering seeds for when they are ready to bloom.
The intention of the ministries here is to provide the warmth, safety, and the Word of Christ to children every week.
Over the last six years, youth volunteer Kloey Baca has provided the consistency that helps children blossom into independence. Kloey shows up every Tuesday night because she knows the kids anticipate seeing her. On the off chance she might not make it, the night is never completed without hearing “where’s Miss Kloey?” from many of the kiddos.
As we celebrated all our wonderful volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Month in April, Kloey came to our minds as one of the many valued contributors to Lubbock Impact’s ministry. Her background as a social worker at UMC has given her a complete understanding of the power of encouragement and being a positive role model in the kids’ lives. The amount of heart she gives each week has created an excitement for them to show up to learn, laugh, and lose track of outside hardships for an hour.
According to ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences), with every adversity a child faces, they are 14% more likely to struggle with mental health issues. Adolescents who also experience a high level of childhood trauma are about 2.8 times more likely to have chronic diseases.
These challenges are seen both in and away from their home, like getting “bullied at school for wearing hand-me-down shoes or pants that don’t fit.” Lubbock Impact is grateful for volunteers like Kloey who provide a safe space for children to show up and learn tools that inspire hope.
Kloey’s influence is not only portrayed through the way she shows up for the kids, but also in how she treats them. “I don’t want them to feel like they are running on empty their entire life,” she said, and her initiative to fill up the cups of the youth who come in on Tuesday evenings is one of the great foundations upon which Lubbock Impact is built. “The children grow to feel safe with you in a world of instability.”
She often emphasizes “planting this seed that they’re going to remember.”
The seed Kloey and our volunteers embed is like the one described in Matthew 17. This small seed has the ability to flourish into something great, engraving itself in the hearts of these children so they can find grace in adversity.
When speaking about this, Kloey said, “It is difficult to break a generational curse, but encouraging with tools that give a new perspective allows a seed of change every child.” Creating a foundation of faith at a young age may not only help these kids make the right decisions at recess but also positively shape their future trajectory.
Because of Kloey and many other caring and dedicated volunteers, Lubbock Impact’s Children’s Ministry has made deep connections, a warm environment, and a safe place to land for so many kids. Meeting children in a comfortable space, implementing physical, spiritual, and emotional support that brings smiles and anticipation every Tuesday evening is what keeps kids and volunteers coming back.
Story by Communications Intern, John Miles