KidzTime at Strong Foundation: Helpers Wanted!

John and Chrissy Fitch began volunteering at Strong Foundation when their youngest child was about two years old. Now their children range in age from 10 years to post-college, but volunteering together at Strong Foundation is still a standing commitment on their family calendar.

Strong Foundation is one of Redeemer’s longtime city ministry partners. Strong Foundation is a residential program that gives families in homelessness or at risk of homelessness a place to stay while they work toward stability and independence. They also work with young women who have aged out of the foster care system and need to pursue education, jobs, and housing for themselves, often without support systems.

One of the ways Redeemer supports Strong Foundation is by sending teams of volunteers to KidzTime. Volunteers play on the playground with children who live at the ministry while their parents attend life skills classes required in the Strong Foundation program. 

The beauty of this service opportunity, the Fitch family says, is its simplicity — if you can play with children, you can volunteer. KidzTime is also something that you can do in almost any stage of life. Chrissy Fitch says that when her children were young, the challenges of going to Strong Foundation were about bed time schedules and supervising smaller children. With older elementary and teenaged children, the challenges are more about extracurricular activities and end-of-the-week exhaustion. But going consistently has been formative, in spite of the challenges.

“That was what I wanted, was as a family, to make a habit of going and serving,” she says. “Sometimes just the formation of the habit matters more than if you are really able to do a ton. It’s like with church attendance — making a habit of going when your children are little is hard, but if you wait until your kids are older, you have gotten busy with other stuff and it’s not on your radar.”

Paul and Kim Barton agree. The Bartons, both doctors, previously served as medical missionaries in Ecuador and Macedonia with Mission to the World. When they transitioned back to life in the United States, settled in San Antonio and began attending Redeemer, they wanted to find a way to continue serving together as a family. Strong Foundation has become a consistent commitment in their schedule.

The Barton’s sons, Sam, 16, Nathan, 14, Josiah, 12 and Isaac, 10, say that going to Strong Foundation is actually a lot of fun. Basketball is agreed to be the favorite activity of the school aged kids, but volunteers are also welcomed to bring card games, crafts or other activities.

Kim Barton says there are times when her family’s attitudes about volunteering at Strong Foundation are not enthusiastic, but they go anyway, and she notices that by the drive home, everyone is cheerful.

“You read people complaining about how children are so entitled” she says. “I think maybe one of the ways to combat that is to serve other people. It’s a way of balancing out a life of privilege.”

There are many opportunities to serve with Redeemer's Ministry Partners this fall!

• October 2 - Pregnancy Care Center Gala
• October 4 - Young Life San Antonio South Banquet
• October 5 - KidzTime at Strong Foundation
• October 11 - Christian Medical and Dental Association Luncheon
• October 18 - Lavish Banquet
• November 2 - KidzTime at Strong Foundation
• November 14 - Boxes of Blessing Taping Day
• December 2 - Boxes of Blessing Filling Day
• December 7 - KidzTime at Strong Foundation

If you, your family or your community group would like more information about how to serve with these or other ministry partners, contact RPC Ministries Coordinator Suzette DeMent (suzette@redeemersa.org).