This summer, the CCC Alliance Women group is excited to partner with Mission Church, our newest Alliance church plant in Omaha, to help bless Franklin Elementary School in Village One! Franklin has over 270 students ranging from HeadStart through 6th grade. This past year, Franklin students attended school in a different building because of major, year-long renovations. The work is now complete and the Franklin students will start the 2017–2018 school year in a newly remodeled building. “Everyone is very excited to be going back to our building. On August 16th, we will have our ribbon cutting ceremony!” said Ms. Valarie Wolfe. As the School Support Liaison (SSL) at Franklin, Ms. Wolfe has worked at the school for 9 years, both in her current role and as a teacher. She shared, “I love being able to work with the students and be a positive role model in their lives.”

One huge challenge at Franklin is that the students come from many different backgrounds. Most come from families who face financial challenges. Others find school challenging because English is not their first language. Many students live in single-parent homes or with their grandparents. The school works really hard to help the students with their different circumstances and expose them to many new experiences. This year, students will have opportunity to take band and string (orchestra) class and to join K-Kids (Kiwanis Kids). Of course, the children will also enjoy recess and lunch each day!

To welcome the students back to their new building, Alliance Women invite everyone at CCC to provide Back-to-School welcome bags for the kids. Beginning July 23rd, we will collect travel-sized toothpaste, deodorant, floss, lotion, mouthwash, and hand sanitizer, as well as packs of markers, pencils, and crayons! We also want to include fruit snacks, gum, and granola bars. You can purchase the items and bring them to the Atrium between July 23rd and August 12th. Pick up a list of items at the Info Center in the Atrium. Women of all ages are invited to come help pack the bags on August 12th in the Student Center from 9:30–11AM. Myron Pierce will share about what it's like to be a kid in Village One. We’ll have a light breakfast and plenty to pack, as well as color some Welcome Back to School postcards to include in the bags.

Ms. Wolfe shared, “The bags will be a nice surprise for our students as they return to our new building. It will give our students a fresh start and encourage them to have a wonderful school year. It will also show them that there are people in the community that support them and want to see them succeed in school.” In September, Mission Church officially opens their doors in Village One, just a few blocks from Franklin School. We are excited to partner with Mission Church as they develop a close relationship with Franklin School in the coming years!