Trinity Presbyterian Church adopts MPS’s Townsend Street School
Trinity Presbyterian Church, a multicultural church founded in 1891 and located in the heart of Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood, has taken Townsend Street School as its own through its Adopt a School Program.
Since 2005, the congregation has founded and coordinated several programs benefiting the nearly 450 K-8th grade students of the school, with an eye toward helping to shape the future of the Sherman Park community.
On Friday, May 16, from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Townsend Street School 5th grade students, church volunteers and community members will begin an important component of the program, their Spring planting in God’s Garden.
Trinity Pastor Reverend Volina Cross Dukes will bless the earth, thus beginning the annual planting cycle.
Formerly an eyesore, the city lot located at 4218 West Concordia Street is transformed each year into a beautiful garden.
God’s Garden uplifts the neighborhood with its bounty of flowers and vegetables, used to feed the area homeless through the Sherman Park Food Pantry, another Trinity outreach program.
Various neighbors and church members have adopted lots and enjoy working in their gardens and harvesting each year.
Trinity church member Trudy Holyst coordinates the God’s Garden program. Mark Bedford manages the overall Adopt A School Program.
"We take very seriously the admonition of the prophets and Jesus to ‘Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God,’" said Reverend Cross Dukes.
"We’re located right across the street from Townsend and decided we needed a program to address the needs and challenges faced by the young people there."
God’s Garden bolsters the Townsend 5th graders’ Science education. Through the program, they learn important lessons about agriculture and respecting the land and its bounty.
During the school year, Holyst teaches plant growth and demonstrates scientific tenants such as observation, data collection and analysis.
Students plant seeds in small individual containers and record progress, such as how many days it takes their seeds to germinate, and measure and record growth.
Team leaders ensure that seeds are kept under light 24 hours a day/7 days a week and water them every three days.
These lessons culminate in the Spring planting of the garden. Students marvel at the joy and wonder of planting, tending, and the resulting produce and flowers.
"The program reflects the truest sense of what a neighborhood should be like," said MPS Superintendent William Andrekopoulos. "It’s not so much a science lesson for our children as it is a lesson in appreciating the different people and opportunities within a community."
The school’s students benefit from several other programs under the Adopt A School Program banner.
Youth Empowerment Skills
Each week 6th, 7th and 8th grade boys learn youth empowerment skills such as self-respect and respecting others, effective relationships, healthy communications, job skills, and avoiding drugs and crime. The program also features visits from guest speakers, enriching field trips and presents opportunities for the boys to plan and participate in their own special events.
Book Club Read Aloud
Twice a week, Trinity volunteers go into the classroom to assist teachers wherever needed. The goal is to strengthen students’ reading abilities.
Volunteers read aloud to the children, and if needed, help them obtain a library card. Students are encouraged to read two to four books per month and to write book reports.
After School Tutoring
Trinity volunteers provided one-on-one tutoring for students in the school cafeteria.
"We love working with the kids, and they truly love coming to Trinity," said Reverend Dukes. "We feel like we’re positively impacting lives."
Trinity Presbyterian Church is located in the heart of Sherman Park at 3302 North Sherman Boulevard.
