Outreach sites

1. Garden Square Outreach in Trinity UMC led by KUO volunteers and Trinity church.
2. Pine Valley Outreach led by Alto United Methodist Church
3. Briarwick Outreach led by West Middleton United Methodist Church
4. Zion Outreach which contains a food pantry located in the heart of Kokomo
5. Open Arms a Sidewalk Sunday School location led by KUO staff
6. Riley Modern Outreach led by KUO staff with cook-outs being supplied by Zion UMC.
7. Wabash and Broadway Neighborhood led by Parr United Methodist Church
8. Vinton Woods Apartments led by Center Road Church of Christ.

Trailer pictures check back for updates

Before the trailer was brown and dirty.
After trailer painted and cleaned





Before trailer floor full of holes.
Below New floor being installed.

Trailer pictures

Click here to see pictures of trailer.

stories from our Outreach Sites

PINE VALLEY
Written by Mary Ingle

Since we have started SWSS and the cookouts, several relationships between the volunteers and neighbors has been developed.

Think back as to where we were two years ago, God has definitely opened doors and the neighbors hearts to and for us. We are not just a "Church" group of people coming to help the needy, but we are friends. Some call us family.

God has blessed us so much with being accepted and trust being built. Relationships has been established. Here are examples of fruit being sown:

* Several people has asked us to for them .

* Charlotte asked me, prayed for her after SWSS about a personal matter. I was speaking on forgiveness and she opened her heart up to me and we all prayed over her. She released what was on her heart to God.

* Bonnie and I laid hands on Sarah for healing. She had been very sick for two weeks. All kinds of tests were ran on her from gall bladder to kidneys to liver. Everything checked out fine, but she was still running fever and vomiting. And having severe stomach cramps. Bonnie and I went down and laid hands on her right before VBS started. The next day, Gina and I was out there visiting a little gal and she was not home, so we checked on Sarah. She was outside playing and looked wonderful. Her mom told us that a couple of hours after we prayed over Sarah, she came out of her room and said that she was hungry. She ate and kept it down. Had a good night's rest and was playing outside when we arrived. Her color was normal and she was eating and keeping everything down. She saw me and said, Miss Mary, God is good!! Our prayers were answered.

* Tamera, age 6 faccepted Jesus in her heart last spring. Dave, Gina, Margaret, Dave P, and myself lead her to saying the sinner's prayer and explained to her what those words meant. Then we prayed over her. I shared with her mom Erin that night at the meal that her daughter accepted Jesus in her heart. She begin to cry.

Carolyn and Nick The Kilty's and myself has prayed several times with her for guidance and healing. We have also prayed for her to have a deeper relationship with Jesus.

* We have had an awesome turnout for the clothing give-away, cookouts, one year anniversary, Christmas Eve service, Sunday night service,VBS, and movie night. The neighbors keep asking me why are always doing wonderful things for them. They have told all of us how thankful and appreciative they are in all we do.

* I cannot express the number of relationships that has been built among all of us (volunteers and neighbors) and relationships restored among the neighbors themselves since we have started the cookouts.

* Dean Bausom, KHA has told me that there has been a lot of positive changes out there.

Adults and kids are getting along better.

* When I am passing out flyers and I come up on adults who are swearing, one of them usually tells the other one to clean up his mouth, here comes the church lady. They are showing me respect.

* We gave out 69 school bags compared to 39 last year. every person and child that received a book bag with supplies all said "Thank You" and told us how appreciated they were. I knew in my heart that they meant every word.

Volunteer Opportunties

We are looking for folks to fill some very important volunteer positions. Below is a thumbnail job description and the weekly hour expectations.

Marketing- Design promotional materials including brochures, posters etc. Write press releases to area media. Arrange interviews with local media. 10-15 hours per week

Fund Development- Analyze budget and giving patterns. Explore new streams of income ie grants. 5-10 hours per week

Project E.A.T.'s Buddy Bag and Student to Student Program Coordinator- Develop a TEAM that would administer all facets (developing menu's, ordering food, unloading food, keeping inventory, coordinating Student to Student aspect, and work on the expansion of the Buddy Bag program. 20 hours per week

Work Team Supervisor- Host and supervise scheduled work teams. Periodically, work teams come to KUO to work on various projects. We are looking for someone to care for team while they are here including: making arrangements for food, snacks etc, welcoming and overseeing the groups work, and be sure everyone has a great experience. Hours dependent on group coming, estimate 10 hours per month.

Furniture Pick-Up Delivery Coordinator- Develop a team of people with trucks that can pick-up and deliver furniture for those in need. 10 hours per month


Director of Preschool Computer Classes- A teacher who will coordinate preschool computer classes. With a grant through Leadership Kokomo, we will be securing several laptops for the classes. Classes will be held at various Outreach locations throughout the city. Initial training will be done by Leadership Kokomo. After initial training the director will train other teachers. Class times, locations will be determined by teachers. The director will train teachers, coordinate classes and if desired teach a class. 4-6 hours per week

Urban Connection Developer- We looking for just the right person to develop a new ministry idea. . The idea is to provide non-threatening places where people can explore the Christian faith--- connecting with each other and with Jesus. The developer will develop the program from ground up. If you feel called to this give me a call and we will talk more. Jeff 461.9618
hours unknown

Director of Technology -- Someone with computer skills to update and design websites, help with computer networking. 5hrs per week


Art Reach Director- Develop a fine arts classes directed to those that do not have the resources to take lessons. Classes might include: guitar classes, art classes, dance classes, drum lines etc. We ran a pilot program a couple years ago and are ready to start on more of full-time basis. 5-10 hours per week.

Board of Director Member---looking for CPA and/or Attorney. Board Meetings on the second Monday at 6:00 PM



Most of the work can be done at home. The outreach is expanding and we really need your help.

Thanks Jeff


Thank You to volunteers that are already spearheading Outreach Components:

Sidewalk Sunday School Coordinator Mary Ingle
Food Pantry Avery Cosley
Household Pantry Gloria Strickland
Urban Impact Marla Edmunds and Judy Rider(sewing component)
Pine Valley Outreach Leaders David and Gina Kitley(Alto UMC)
Parr United Methodist Church Outreach Deanna Ancil with help from Oakbrook Community Church
Briarwick Apartment Outreach Walt and Cindy Steele(West Middleton UMC)
Vinton Woods Outreach completely underwritten by Center Rd. Church of Christ Karen Ely Leader
Preschool Leeann Hughes
Club 45 at Garden Square Pastor Steve Sherwood
Youth at Garden Square Darren Miracle
Sunday Night Dinner at Garden Square Chris Newton
Parish Nurse leaders Cathy Shaw, Cindi Myers
Riley Mobile Home Park Outreach Caretakers Pete and Norma Blue

Quick Way to Collect Food

A quick easy way to collect food for our food pantry is to pass out grocery bags on Sunday Morning and have parishioners return them the following week. We have grocery bags decorated by children or you could have your Sunday school classes decorate them. Call me and I will gladly bring in bags and/or pick up food.

Kokomo Tribune Article August 1

By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune enterprise editor

Area residents used to waiting up to
one hour to talk to someone at a call
center to receive Medicaid or food
stamps, had to wait 90 minutes before
addressing a legislative commission
Thursday in Kokomo.
The legislative study commission
conducted the first state hearing on
problems since the Indiana Family
and Social Services Administration
signed a contract with a private company
to handle eligibility for the two
programs.

People filled a room on the Indiana
University Kokomo campus waiting
to relate to lawmakers problems they
have experienced with the new procedures.
Commission members spent the
first 90 minutes listening to explanations
and questioning FSSA Secretary
Mitch Roob.

When they got a chance to speak,
recipients spoke of denied claims,
long telephone waits and going without
benefits.

“Since you changed the new system
over, it’s full of crap,” Judith Phillips
said. “I had to fight them on my own.”
Phillips said for two months, she
had to go without food stamps and
was forced to borrow money while
awaiting approval.

“You never get to talk to the same
person twice,” she complained.
At one point, standing with the aid
of a walker, Phillips waved a thick
pile of yellow legal paper at
committee members. Listed
on the sheets was every call
she made to the call center in
Marion.

“A lot of these people don’t
know,” she said of the fight to
get benefits. “You never walked
in our shoes. There should be a
group that comes to our homes.
“The new system is not working
right, it is a fake and a
fraud,” Phillips said to applause.
Wendy Abcock said her benefits
were scheduled for recertification
on July 1 and the claim
was denied because her income
was not verified.

“The county offices can’t
help,” she said. “They are there
to fax information or help you
get on the Internet to apply.”
Abcock said the family is still
awaiting approval to get a prescription
medication for her
son.

Kathy Purvis said the paperwork
filed for an individual
who is legally blind was lost
three times.

Purvis said she cares for her
granddaughter and because her
income is $23.76 too much each
month, the girl is not eligible for
assistance.

“We can’t get her hearing aids
because she was denied,” Purvis
said crying. “She can’t hear the
teacher at school.”

Jennifer Workman said she
has been trying to get Medicaid
coverage for her 19-year-old
son. She passed a photograph of
her son to commission members.
She said her son was receiving
medication through Medicaid
while at the Robert J. Kinsey
Youth Center.

“They sent the denial letter to
the youth center,” Workman
said. “We didn’t know it until
we went to the pharmacy.”
Workman said her son is
bipolar and has physically attacked
her and her husband.

“On April 2, we did an application
online,” she explained.

“We waited on hold for one
hour and were finally told they
didn’t receive it.”

A second application was
submitted on May 12 and is
still pending.

“We ’re talking life and
death,” she said. “I’m afraid of
my own kid if he doesn’t get
his medications.”

Workman said she has wasted
30 hours on the telephone
and her son still doesn’t have
coverage.

Former FSSA case worker
outlines problems

Steve Woodall, a former state
case worker, went to work for
ACS at the new system’s Marion
call center for about a year until
quitting last April.
Woodall was introduced by
his brother-in-law, state Rep.
Ron Herrell, D-Kokomo.
Woodall said he worked for
the state for 37 years and
walked off the job in Marion
last April after working six
months with the private firm.
“The system is flawed when
it doesn’t provide good services,”
he said. “We had problems
before, but the clients knew or
should have known who their
case worker was.

“I’ve seen many, many
things that are flawed with this
system,” Woodall said. “I believe
any client should be able
to call in and talk to someone
who has ultimate responsibility
for their case, and this system
does not provide that.”

Food stamp cases were not
being processed within two or
three months, he said. When
paperwork is not received, the
claim is automatically denied.

Woodall said when he
worked for the state, he was
assigned to 300 or 400 cases,
but monitored them for recertification
of eligibility every six
months or year.

Lawmakers ask FSSA
officials tough questions
FSSA began rolling out the
changes in the administration
of the Medicaid and food
stamp program last year in a
12-county area, including
Kokomo. It has been expanded
to 47 counties.

The state awarded a team of
vendors led by IBM Corp. and
Affiliated Computer Services
Inc. a $1.16 billion, 10-year contract
to process applications for
Medicaid, food stamps and other
public safety net benefits received
by about 1.1 million
children, seniors, people with
disabilities and other Hoosiers
in need.

The federal government informed
the state to stop the
process of adding more counties
to the system until applications
could be processed in a
more timely fashion.

Roob said FSSA stopped the
rollout of food stamps to additional
counties because of the
flooding in southern Indiana.
“We independently suspended
the roll out on June 13,” he
said.

Rep. Bill Crawford, chairman
of the commission, said the
federal Food and Nutrition
Service issued a cease-and-desist
order.

“I don’t believe they have the
authority to tell us to stop,”
Roob remarked. “We already
decided to stop the rollout.”
Crawford said he had a copy
of the e-mail directing FSSA to
cease and desist.

“The federal government pays
66 percent of the cost of Medicaid
and 100 percent of food
stamp costs,” he said. “If you accept
the program, there has to
be access to food stamps on an
equal basis for the entire state.”
Crawford said the golden
rule is that the person who has
the gold makes the rule, and in
this case, the federal government
has the gold.

“In the rollout areas, there
are complaints,” Crawford said,
drawing applause from the
crowd. “We want to assure the
public that these programs are
going to operate in a timely
fashion.”

Roob told lawmakers at the
public hearing that the agency
is working to improve the system.
He said the state wants to
process applications within 60
days.

He said there has been a decrease
in the food stamps being
issued in some of the rollout
areas.

Crawford said the lawmakers
wanted all the bureaucratic
obstacles removed from the
system which is keeping people
from receiving benefits.

“We want you to assure the
public that the applications will
be processed in a timely fashion
and comply with the federal regulations,”
he said. “Medical care
delay compounds the problem
and becomes more costly in the
long run.”

Sidewalk Sunday School Basics

Sidewalk Sunday School is an effective, rather simple, way to build relationships with families with the goal of leading whole families to Christ.

Here is the format:

• Gather children 5 yrs old-5th grade
• Go over three rules---(boys on one side girls on the other, sit on pockets, quiet when we count to three)
  
• Singing (all your favorite children's songs)
  
• Story (short, basic Bible Stories especially the stories of Jesus)
  
• Prayer Time (groups of 3 or 4 kids per one adult)
  
• Game Time ( a fast moving game that everyone can play)
  
• Kid of the Week (prize, trophy or certificate given to boy and girl that displayed excellent behavior)

Secret to SWSS: Each week, each child is visited in their home and a flier is given reminding them to come next week. Over time parents are open to sharing prayer concerns etc. and relationships are built and ministry happens.

Urban Impact Plan

Urban Impact is a brand new program of KUO. It is in the very beginning stages. Our goal is to help folks start small businesses with business mentors/partners, impacting their family in a positive way. A good paying job is needed to move out of poverty. Education is a way to get a good job. So many in poverty do not have the education to have a high paying job. Many of the folks that I work with may not have an education but they have a "passion". There are some folks who love to make things with their hands--pillows, pillow cases, flower arrangements etc. We have begun to work with the sewing class. We are providing the students with all of the materials they need to make the things they love to make. On June 7th they will sell what they made at a sale. Judy and Marla are teaching the students not only how to sew but how to succeed in business. They will help students price their wares. For example if a pillow costs $2.00 to make and is sold for $5.00, the student will receive $3.00 with $2.00 being set aside to purchase more material. If things go well a business could be created with a catalog on the internet.

There are also some clients who would like to start a small service business such as window washing, lawn care etc. I think it is possible to help folk start small business. What is needed is education, maybe not "formal" education but informal teaching as folks start their own business learning from a business mentor/partner. It would be great if a couple of people could set down with me and help me develop this further.

2008 Budget

Executive Director ---------------36,500.00

Medical Insurance -----------------7,400.00
Administrative Assistant--------- 10,000.00
Crisis Childcare Director----------- 9,360.00
Social Security Taxes-------------- 4,500.00
Fund Raising------------------------ 500.00
Office Supplies--------------------- 1,000.00
Postage ------------------------------500.00
Liability Insurance----------------- 2,200.00

Grand Total -------------------71,960.00

One Prayer

Jilly(not her real name) told me how she prayed for Jesus to come into her heart during Sidewalk Sunday School. She is a special little girl who loves Jesus and loves to be in church where she can experience peace and joy. Her simple prayer not only has affected her life but that of her family.

We have lots of stories of how one prayer changed a life. Check back later for more stories.

One Trophy

Kid of the week trophies have changed the life of many children. It was hard for me to believe that one trophy could change a life. There are stories of children sleeping with trophies, of taking trophies to school and since one boy became kid of the week his behavior at school has dramatically changed. The trophies promote self esteem and excellence. It makes every kid feel important and gives the children a sense of accomplishment. To become Kid of the Week, a child must not just be good, they must be excellent. They must display great table manners, talk quietly, and participate appropriately during Sidewalk Sunday School.

This semester the United Methodist Men at Grace UMC provided the trophies. Thanks.

One Person

At KUO we have many, many stories of how one person makes a difference. There is Suzie who picks up children in the cold, rain, snow, heat to bring them to Sidewalk Sunday School. She patiently eats with the children, cares for the children and is loved by the children. She knows the children by name and knows many parents. She is used by Jesus each week to make a difference.

History of Easter Basket Workshop

The Easter Basket Workshop began in 2006 when Tribune reporter Tom Carey brought us thirty well filled Easter baskets to give to children who were in need. I shared with a mother that we would be giving her child a basket the Sunday before Easter. She said, "I wish I could give a basket to her". I asked her if we had a Easter Basket workshop would she come and make one for her and she said, "yes".

I then called Tom Carey and asked if we could take the baskets apart. I told him in 5 days we would have the workshop. Tom put an article in the paper and the donations came pouring in. Easter grass in bales, 1/2 pound chocolate rabbits, balls, yo yo's, candy eggs, full size candy bars, gum, we had it all. The first year 150 baskets were made and the second year 500 baskets went out the back door. I am anxious to see what happens in 2008,