In 2009, volunteers contributed more than 4,000 unpaid hours to the Bible classes, after school programs and youth building ministries at Kids 4 Christ. One long-time Kids 4 Christ volunteer was honored for his dedicated service with the first “Joyce Fletcher Service Award.”
Charlie Caldwell, a semi-retired middle school teacher and former coach, received the award during the Heart of Ministry dinner held in January. Mr. Caldwell has been a Kids 4 Christ volunteer since 2005, beginning as a mentor and tutor in the Cool After School program. Since then, he has shifted his service to KidsFirst, where he works each Thursday as class assistant for the older elementary and middle school classes.
Despite the challenges of working with older kids, Mr. Caldwell plans to continue volunteering at Kids 4 Christ. Last year, he noted the need for programs like KidsFirst because of the impact they make on struggling kids, commenting how “seeds are being planted” through the ministry there.
The award given to Mr. Caldwell was named in honor of Ms. Joyce Fletcher, a Kids 4 Christ volunteer who passed away in November 2008. She faithfully worked in the Kids 4 Christ kitchen for several years, setting the standard for love, faithfulness and flexibility. The award named after her will be given each year to the volunteer who most reflects those qualities in their work ethic.
For more about Kids 4 Christ, see the organization’s Web site at www.k4c.info or call 706-639-3234. To schedule an interview with a Kids 4 Christ representative, call 706-639-5631 or e-mail kris@k4c.info.