During the cold month of March, the 2^nd grade students from the White Cloud Elementary School Project FOCUS site celebrated Reading Month. Led by 2^nd Grade Project Teacher, Lisa Bush, these students participated in some Hawaiian-themed activities, all designed to make reading fun.

Read stories impacting NCCS and those we serves in the April / May / June issue.

Toward the end of 2009, NCCS started an ambitious new intake program called “Meet & Greet”, utilizing volunteer staff. Today, that program is serving an essential function at the agency, and there are several opportunities for caring community members to get involved.

The date for the 2010 Mud Bowl Mania, mud volleyball tournament has been officially announced – Saturday, July 17 and registration is now open, at 2009 rates!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and encourage individuals and communities to support children and families. The Baldwin Project FOCUS groups at Baldwin Elementary and Middle Schools will be holding a special event on Thursday, April 29 to bring local awareness to this worthy cause, and everyone is invited!

On March 22, NCCS held it’s annual Music Scholarship Contest, and gave away over $2,400 in monetary awards to twelve local middle and high school students.

The NCCS Crossroads is a publication designed to provide Newaygo County residents the who, what, when, where and how of agency programs and services occuring within a specific quarter. The April/May/June 2010 issue of the Crossroads is now available by clicking here.

2^nd Avenue Ministries, along with their customers of the 2^nd Avenue Thrift Shop, teamed together to help those in need stay warm in their homes through a $1,000 donation to NCCS.

It’s not tool late to sign your team up for Bowlapalooza 2010. “Bowlapalooza” brings together teams of five bowlers to have fun and bowl at Fremont Lanes, and most importantly, to raise money that goes directly toward recruiting, enrolling and pairing volunteers with children needing them most. The event is all about kids. The more donations bowlers raise, the more children will benefit by having a Big Brother or Big Sister in their lives.  

Over a five-week period in February and March, a group of twelve 6^th – 8^th grade students from the White Cloud Middle School Project FOCUS site worked with a group of 1^st grade Project FOCUS students on a unique reading program called “Book Buddies”. The Middle School students paired up with their 1^st grade “buddies” to prepare and read stories, have snacks together, and participate in a lot of different, creative activities, all designed to making reading fun.