Shine-Safer Communities Ministry

08/17/2023

Celebration Place, Landing provide support for Stanly County youth Published 8:47 am Thursday, August 17, 2023 By BJ Drye

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Youth needing a help up have a new resource in the county. Safer Communities Ministry in Monroe, which offers programs for residents of Union, Stanly and Anson counties, including a program at Prospect Baptist Church, has a new program housed at Christ Episcopal Church in Albemarle. “We work with ...

01/04/2023

We are excited for our upcoming ribbon cutting for our new location for the SCM Union County Shine Children's House! Hope to see you there next Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 1 pm.

12/01/2022

Thankful for these two men Andy Cook and Rich Majewski for volunteering and putting our beautiful sign up.

07/07/2022

04/28/2022

April 27th we held our 2nd Annual SCM-Shine Awards Ceremony to honor our Senior Interns and Shine Volunteers at the Union County Jail where we also presented Sheriff Eddie Cathey our Leadership Award. Please join us in congratulating our receipents:

Mary Benton- Outstanding Community Service Award-In recogonition of your love and dedication in making a difference in the life of a child.

Cheryl Billinger- Outstanding Community Service Award- In recognition of your generous commitment of time, support, and inspiration in the life of others.

Dory Damon- Outstanding Community Service Award- In recognition of your love and dedication in making a difference in the life of a child.

Sheriff Eddie Cathey- Leadership Award- In appreciation for your support and for being a pillar of strength and character while providing excellent leadership for Union County.

04/15/2022

03/16/2022

February was full of Enrichment activities for our children enrolled in the Shine program. We started at Union West Library and focused on literacy where our children learned how to check out books and many obtained a library card for the very first time. Believe it or not this was many of our children's first time visiting a library outside of school.
We had a College and Career Day where we met at The Bridge Restaurant and owner Julie Pressley did a wonderful job testifying how God allowed her family to purchase and learn how to own/operate their business with his help all the way. Dory Damon (Senior at Myers Park H.S.) shares with our kids all things college and how she sought God's will in selecting where to go.
We really wanted to share that "All things are possible with God" and these ladies helped us do exactly that.
From there we spend an afternoon at Glory Farms with Jennifer Terrell who shared with our kids how to take care of God's creatures and then a wonderful devotion as she shared how God loves his sheep.
We are so excited to see how God is blessing our program and our community partners are helping us provide experiences to our kids to enrich and invest in their lives. We can't thank them enough for helping us show so much love last month!

02/28/2022

A little over 2 weeks ago, I made a post asking for your donations for birthday celebrations at the Shine House. We are so grateful for each one of you who has given in support of us helping each child SHINE on the day of their birth. We want every child to know that, no matter the circumstance, you were divinely created, you have a purpose and you are meant to be CELEBRATED!

I was blown away when I recieved this message from Cindel Boles, one of the owners of Sassy Cakes Bakery... "Is this something Sassy Cakes can help with? God gave me the talent of baking and decorating and I personally believe everyone should get a Birthday cake!" When I tell you my eyes filled with tears, I am not exaggerating. This act of love and kindness has touched my life, and will touch the lives of our children and families.

I have known Cindel and Tamara, the other owner, for years, as friends and as the bakers of my wedding cake and all of our family birthday cakes. They are amazing women and talented bakers of delicious treats. We are so fortunate, at Shine, that God spoke to Cindel's heart that day. Thank you Sassy Cakes!

If you live in Western Stanly County, stop by Sassy Cakes in the Locust Town Center and grab yourself something sweet to eat. If you don't live out that way, make the drive, or stop by next time on your way to Charlotte. You will be so happy you did! They are down past Ace Hardware, but before the apartments. Go give them a like on Facebook and Instagram as a thank you for helping us!

02/25/2022

Children LOVE art, and we were so blessed to have a community partner donate pieces and all the set up for our Shine families to paint this week. Art is a powerful way to express one's self, and I personally found it mesmerizing to witness their individuality in their creations.

Here's the other thing, it's enhancing their behavioral and mental health in many ways. Many times it's easier for children to warm up and open up while painting or coloring than it would be to sit face to face and talk with an adult. As they relax, communication between child and adult often flow easier, and a trusting relationship can be built. When kids work together in a group, like we have this week, they improve their social interactions and skills, as they wait their turn for paint, admire each other's work and help clean up together.

Creating artwork releases happy hormones in our brains (like dopamine) which boosts mood, confidence and is very beneficial in the treatment of mental health. All forms of art are excellent strategies for coping, whether it's paint, music, poetry or dance, self-expression is a healing tool.

I'm so fortunate to work with our counselor, Sharon, who is in both Union and Stanly Counties. She is so creative and artistic, and has so many brilliant ideas for our Shine children. I'm looking forward to sharing many more of our artistic endeavors.

We want to thank everyone who has donated to us from individuals to local businesses. I will continue to spotlight some of our local businesses in appreciation for all they have done.

02/24/2022

We live in a world of high expectations when it comes to the daily hustle. Multi-task. Do more. Be more. There's a lot of pressure to perform from childhood through adulthood. As an adult, how do you talk to yourself when you feel like you have failed? Simple example, as a mom or dad, you forget it's wacky hair day at school and your child is furious in carpool when he arrives with his normal 'do. Minor, but you feel the heart sink with guilt and shame. Maybe it's a super busy day, and the anxiety that fills inside of you leaks out into snapping (repeatedly) at a spouse, child, or a stranger. You feel like a failure at "doing life".

The pressure we put on ourselves to have it all together can lead to a mind full of negative self-talk. It often is filled with comparison and not measuring up to others. We feel less than our counter parts, never enough. It's in these moments of shame and guilt, we need to remember to give ourselves GRACE. We deserve to give ourselves what God has so lovingly given us.

Not only do we make minor mistakes that disrupt the flow of our imaginary "perfect" day, we sin, and we have a gracious and forgiving Father when we come to him. We don't need to be perfect. Spoiler alert: We can't be. Never going to be. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

For some of us, it may be hard to even believe God can forgive us of all of our failings. He can, and I encourage you to continue to read more scripture about God's grace and forgiveness. Remember, John 3:16, God gave his Son for us, so that we have grace and a pardon from our sins.

For others of us, even if we believe God has forgiven all of our past and current mistakes, we may still struggle to forgive ourselves (I'm raising my hand). We can stop beating ourselves up, and instead lean into the compassion and grace that is so freely provided to us. It's extremely freeing to realize you don't need to be perfect, you're not going to be, but you can continue to work to the best of your abilities with your faith as your anchor.

As you're doing this adult work, share it with your children. I'm not recommending we allow our kids to throw studying for tests out the window and lower or expectations to nothing. What I am encouraging is this...When they make a D on a test or even when they argue and fight with their sibling, have a compassionate conversation about how worthy they still are. Even if there are consequences to their behavior, let them know they are forgiven and they are loved, ALWAYS.

Be sure to like/follow our page to support what God is doing through us in Union and Stanly Counties.