Apples for supplies for the Teachers of Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School are ready to be picked! We want all of Trinity to have the opportunity to participate in this project, so we have in-person apples, digital apples and an Amazon Wishlist.
In-Person Apples If you worship in person at Trinity or are able to come to Trinity, we invite you to choose an in-person apple from the display boards in the Welcome Center at the church.
Digital Apples/Amazon Wish List If you are a member of our virtual congregation or are unable to get to Trinity in person, we hope you will select a digital apple or go the Amazon Wish List.
Delivering the Supplies If bringing the items to Trinity, please double bag them in paper bags with handles. Attach your apple or a list of items and grade level to the outside of the bag. Deliver to the rear of Trinity Hall by Sunday, August 13.
If having the items shipped, please have them delivered to Trinity UMC, 903 Forest Ave., Richmond, VA 23229 and marked “Oak Grove Supplies.” Items should be delivered by Friday, August 11.
Financial Donations If you would prefer to make a financial donation to the Apple Angel Tree, you can do this via check (memo “Oak Grove Apple Tree”) or via ACS (choose “Back to School Supplies”).
What is the Apple Angel Tree? Trinity has partnered with Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School through the city-wide Micah Initiative for over 15 years. One of our most popular projects each year has been to provide much-needed school supplies. Over 50 Trinity families participate in this effort each year. During the Spring, we meet with the lead teachers for all grade levels at the school and come up with a list of items the teachers would like to receive for their classrooms. There are about 150 apples that can be “picked from our tree” for the upcoming school year.
If you have questions, please contact us! Thanks for your support!
Thanks to your financial tithing, and the good work of the Finance Committee and the Trustees, Trinity has an annual contract with a company to maintain our grounds.
However, being good financial stewards, we only contract for certain essential items to be completed each week.
Our grounds take up lots of space, and we have lots of areas that need to be properly maintained beyond the essentials in the contract. If you have your yard properly manicured at home, and you are looking for some more challenges, the Trinity grounds for you will be a good match.
The following areas will need attention during the summer months: Rock Pile Point, Mrs. M’s lot, Veteran’s Memorial Garden, Bicentennial Garden, the 7906 border, Stuart Hall Road green spaces, and assorted beds and borders. If you have an interest in helping to maintain our grounds, please contact Bill Pike.
Would you like to share your passion for gardening? Please come and share your passion with the youth in the Bellemeade Outdoor Club. We are creating a youth vegetable garden with berry bushes; fruit trees and we also have a bee hive. We are building 30 raised beds, planting berry and fruit trees and enclosing the area in split rail fencing. Our children will hold a farmer’s market once a week. If you want to utilize your passion to change the lives of our children, we welcome you. However, you will discover your life has changed as well. Come visit our rain and pollination garden, nature play area, geology display and Bike Repair shop. We would appreciate any surplus tools that you might donate. We will meet each Saturday beginning March 6 from 1:00-4:00 PM. We welcome volunteers to share your passion for outdoor learning and reading.
Our children have not been in school since March 2020 and their only outlet is with our program.
The address of the park is 1800 Krouse Street. If you are interested email Bob Argabright at rargabright@me.com or call at 310-1080.
For the past seven years I have organized a Saturday Literacy Academy at the Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School with approximately 50 primarily Hispanic children. This year because of the pandemic we have conducted our literacy program outside in the Bellemeade Park. Each Saturday weather permitting we hold our Outdoor Learning program in Bellemeade Park located at 1800 Krouse Street from 1:00-4:00 PM. I have high school volunteers that participate in various outdoor activities with our students. The pandemic has greatly impacted our children’s exposure to reading and the discussing that follow the reading activity. We will begin meeting with our children on March 6 and I want to be more intentional with their reading block. I have many elementary school level books that lend themselves to great discussions based on life skills, how we treat each other, how special we are as individuals, goal setting and dreaming and other themes.
I’m looking for book readers and discussion leaders that will come to the park from 12:30-2:00 any Saturday that would fit your schedule. You can come one time or if you enjoy the ministry you would be welcome to return. You will be given the book ahead of time and suggested discussion questions. Feel free to develop your own questions or to bring and read your favorite book. You may want our students to read the book and you lead the discussion. That would depend on the ages of the children in your group. At the end of the discussion the students will have a journal to record their thoughts. They may journal about their goals, dreams and career aspirations. What stood out from last week?
An important goal that you have each week is to teach our children to dream and to help them understand a dimension of our world that is new to them.
All of us have people in their lives that made us who we are. You can be that person for our beautiful children. If you are interested in making a difference in our children’s lives contact Bob Argabright at 310-1080 or rargabright@me.com
If any members of the congregation or friends would like to volunteer with me in Bellemeade Park, I’m there every day from 8:30-12:00 and would appreciate their help. It is beautiful and we can practice social distancing. They could help water, weed, spread mulch, pick up trash in the creek, create walking trails, and remove invasive species. This has given me an opportunity to keep my sanity and worship in God’s creation.
