Today we’d like to introduce you to Peggy Norwood.
Peggy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Neighborhood KidZ Club (NKC) began in the spring of 2009 as a small Bible Club of 60 children attending. Each week, four large tarps were laid out next to the playground. As the children got off the school bus, they came to enjoy a snack, play games with friends, and listen to Bible stories. Children were divided into four teams for the Bible lessons so they could learn at their grade level, soaking up the stories like little sponges.
Because of our presence in the community, we learned that children were having difficulty with their homework and that many of the parents were not fluent in English, making it extremely difficult to help their children. To meet this need, NKC purchased a mobile home next to the playground and bus stop, so that children could have easy access to a safe place to do homework and attend Bible Club.
Neighborhood KidZ Club Learning Center officially opened in spring 2010, offering free tutoring and homework assistance for up to 30 children three days a week during the school year. The Learning Center operated at full capacity most of the year, often with many students lined up outside waiting for their turn for homework help. The kids have been blessed to study under many devoted volunteers, including active and retired school teachers, local businessmen and women, and high school students, all who want to serve and help these “at-risk” children.
Realizing the importance of literacy, NKC embraced an amazing opportunity to collaborate with National Charity League to conduct Summer Reading Programs in several NKC communities. The first summer 60 children read more than 6000 books. With fluency as the primary goal, the program has flourished every summer with 80 – 100 children participating. In the summer of 2017, we added a Family Literacy option for children to check out bilingual books to read to family members and to enjoy parents and siblings reading to them in Spanish and/or English. We will continue the Family Literacy program as it was a great success.
With a desire to measure our impact on one of the communities we serve, we contacted the Harris County Sheriff’s department to acquire statistics of the crime rate in the local community before we began serving there comparing those numbers with the statistics of the first three years we served in the community. The study showed that incidences of crime in the area dropped 42% during those first three years that we established Bible Club, after-school tutoring, youth ministry, and more.
Our joy and pleasure in making a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families has many personal rewards as well as the pivotal bearing it has on the future of our communities. You see, a student not reading at his or her grade level by the end of the third grade is four times less likely to graduate high school on time. Statistics say that students from low-income families like the ones we serve are six times less likely. Take that and add to it a 2009 study by researchers at Northeastern University that found that high school dropouts were 63 times more likely to be incarcerated than college grads, and it’s easy to see why the work we do is so important.
We are an established 501c3 and have created a format for ministry that is easily replicated. People have come to us wanting to model what we are doing in other areas of the city, state, or the US. Hence, our simple format has allowed the facilitation and growth of multiple communities of NKC.
The work that NKC does has grown tremendously as local community groups have desired to connect with us to serve communities in need. Beyond Bible Club and after-school tutoring, with the help of local individuals, schools, businesses, churches, the Methodist Hospital, and National Charity League we have been able to distribute backpacks and Christmas gifts, facilitate guitar and ukulele classes and children’s choir, and conduct a vast variety of day camps and special events for children, youth, and families.
Connecting with those in our community who wish to serve with us has resulted in a multi-faceted benefit for those we serve with, as well as those who volunteer their time and resources. We have found that many adults, teens, and even children are looking for a place where they can volunteer and effectively help others. Employed and retired adults, junior high and high school students, boy scouts and girl scouts, and families with young children have been able to fulfill personal goals, or community service hours for college or National Honor Society, earn awards, or simply share their gifts and talents with those in need while enjoying the deep satisfaction of investing in the lives of many children, youth, and families.
Partnerships with the community have resulted in some of the following:
• Neighborhood Block Parties
• ESL Classes
• Guitar Classes
• Music Camp
• Drama Camp
• Science and Reading Camp
• Horse Camp
• Summer Reading Programs
• Family Literacy Project
• Food Distribution
• Christmas Gift Distribution
• Backpack/School Supply Distribution
• New Bible Clubs
• After School Tutoring
• Children’s Choir
• Ukulele Band
• Summer Camps
• Vacation Bible School at local churches
Teachers from the schools applaud the work we are doing with their students as they see the difference in study skills, literacy, and overall academic performance. Local businesses realize the value of the work that we are doing and desire to contribute and roll up their sleeves to help. We are always thrilled to hear from families that the influence of NKC in local neighborhoods is making a tremendous impact towards transforming communities one child, one youth, one family at a time. It is our desire to multiply this work in our immediate area of Katy, TX, the Houston area, the US, and beyond.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a pretty smooth road considering all the multiple communities that have been established and all of the great work that has been accomplished.
Even with a smooth road, there are always challenges. We have a tremendous amount of support with volunteers, resources, and funding; however, fundraising is the least favorite aspect of our work. It’s easy to be passionate about the work, but asking for funds is a labor. With even that said, I can ask with confidence because I know the value of our ministry.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Neighborhood KidZ Club – what should we know?
We are a ministry with a passionate desire to make a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families in local neighborhoods. With tremendous success realized, we desire to help others follow our simple format for replicating similar ministries.
There are many groups helping all kinds of people with needs, but we feel that we are unique in that we establish ourselves inside a neighborhood and learn the names of the children and their families. We are able to learn specific needs of individuals and families.
We believe that we are providing valuable tools to children and their families to help them to see a brighter future. Involving so many age groups in volunteering gives us a vast audience to inspire the same work to continue on and on. With our simple format being adopted by others, we are thrilled to assist individuals and groups in other cities and states making a difference in places we may never visit.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Flexible organization.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3239 Randy Lane Katy, Texas 77449
- Website: www.neighborhoodkidzclub.com
- Phone: 713-826-2881
- Email: neighborhoodkidzclub@yahoo.com
- Facebook: Neighborhood KidZ Club
- Twitter: NKCBibleClub
- Other: Snapchat: NKCBibleClub
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