March - Lake Union Conference

News[ pat h f i n d e r n e w s ]Pathfinder Groupand 4-H Club WorkTogether for LocalCauseWisconsin—In early December2007, the Wisconsin Rapids Pathfinderclub recruited help from a local4-H club, and together the 26 childrenand helpers built a gingerbread villagewhich occupied center stage at theWisconsin Rapids mall through theholiday season.Wisconsin Rapids Pathfinder, Lucinda Thurmon, poses by hermill house gingerbread house.Pathfinders and a local 4-H club built a gingerbread village. Proceeds benefited a shelter for women and children.Although this is the first timethe 4-H club has helped out, it is thethird year the Pathfinders have heldthis event from which all proceedsare donated to the Family Center inWisconsin Rapids, a shelter for womenand families. In three years, more than$2,600 has been raised this way.The supplies were donated by thelocal Seventh-day Adventist Churchand the Wittenburg 4-H Club, andthe houses were built mostly by thechildren, with each creation being asunique as the child who made it. Themore unique offerings this year werea Dodge truck with headlights thatworked, a mill house with a workingwater wheel which played music as itturned, and a Native American lodge(teepee), complete with a glowing fireinside and an outside covering of fondant,which very closely resembled realhide. They were created by Caleb Frey,Lucinda Thurmon and EthanFrey respectively. Almost all thehouses were lit up in some way,and it is the attention to detailthat brought them all to life.As the public movedthrough the mall, signs encouragedthem to bid on the houses.The director of the FamilyCenter truly appreciates the effortsof the Pathfinder club, andthe children enjoy participating.Rhonda Whetstone Neibauer,communication secretary, WisconsinRapids Church[ l o c a l c h u r c h n e w s ]KenMat FoundationTeams with the BLCto Provide ComputerTrainingLake Region—“It’s been a great dealof help, and I’ve increased what I knowby leaps and bounds!” This is what Detroitnative, Robert Dixon, says aboutthe computer class he is taking at theDetroit Better Living Center (BLC).The computer class began Tuesday,Jan. 22, with six students, meeting twicea week in the evening. The second sessionof classes to be offered at the BLC,Dixon says the classes are meeting areal need. Earlier he enrolled in a webdesign class offered by a local non-profitorganization, but quickly realized hedidn’t have the basic computer skills heneeded. Walking by the BLC one day,Robert Dixon is glad the Better Living Center offerscomputer classes. His goal is to use the skills helearns to eventually earn a livelihood.Dixon wrote down the number fromthe sign promoting the basic computerclass. He lives a couple blocks from theBLC and is familiar with the programsoffered there. Dixon’s wife and childrenhave taken advantage of clothinggiveaways and attended the Christmasparty for kids.Karen Moore, a member of theMetropolitan Church in Plymouth,Mich., teaches the computer class thathas a waiting list for the next session.The curriculum of the program includesbasic PC skills and an introductionto Microsoft Office and MS Word.“We have individuals enrolled in ourprogram who have never turned on acomputer or surfed the Internet. We areopening a whole new world to many inthe community as they learn useful skillsto use in the workforce,” stated Moore.Ray YoungVi s i t w w w. L a k e Un i o n He r a l d . o r g L a k e U n i o n H e r a l d • Ma r c h 2 0 0 8 | 37