Swing for the kids 2023
Friday, August 25, 2023
Waynesville inn & Golf Club
Teams of 4 will play Friday, August 25th for a chance to win prizes & raise money for our Haywood County youth! Click here to register!
About FUMC Waynesville’s After School Program
The First United Methodist Church of Waynesville’s Afterschool Program began in August of 2016 after the principal at Waynesville Middle School, members of law enforcement, and the Department of Social Services brought forth a need for safe, supervised after school care for middle school students. The absence of safe, supervised after school care left middle school students to wander the area without parameters. Conveniently located just up the street from Waynesville Middle School, our church had the perfect facility to host an after school program for middle school students. We were able to use endowment funds to staff the program through its first year.
After these community leaders expressed concern, the FUMC Afterschool Program opened its doors for students to have a safe place with supervision to be after school. This program is helpful for students and parents. Students can ride the bus or walk directly to the youth area at FUMC and stay until 5 o’clock when they are picked up by a parent or guardian. Once students arrive, they can choose to play games outside, watch movies, play video games, play board games, or work on homework. Students are supervised by 5-6 program staff. The staff engages the students by investing time and building relationships to support these students. Parents can be confident that their child is safe and supervised.
We had 130 students on our roster this past school year. Our program continues to fill a need in the community and connect families with resources.
The 2021-2022 school year also brought some incredibly fun new programming opportunities! We launched our outdoor recreational programming field trips led by HIGHTS Recreational Therapist, Lexi Thorneloe. Lexi took groups of students on hikes, fly fishing trips, and a mountain biking outing with guides supplied by Haywood Recreation and Parks. We had rec field trip days to the Armory, Haywood Rec Park, and took students paddling at Lake Junaluska with Outdoor Mission Community. We look forward to continuing these partnerships in the coming school year and engage students in service opportunities like Friendship House Ministries and Meals on Wheels.
We want to continue expanding our programming options, welcome more students, and keep partnering with local organizations for the benefit of our students.
The Afterschool Program launched using funds specifically allocated for new programs. Because the program is no longer new, it is now funded through individual donations and the general fund of First United Methodist Church of Waynesville. Our goal with Swing for the Kids is to fully fund this program for a year so that the church budget can be used to answer more needs in our community. Click here if you would like to financially support the Afterschool Program.
To learn more or to register your child, please click here.