The Sidewalk Ministry of Grace United Methodist Church (GUMC) makes a difference in the lives of children and their families in the Reed Park/Longfellow Elementary School neighborhood of Mesa, AZ! 

Since 2009, GUMC's Sidewalk Ministry hosts weekly outdoor sessions at Reed Park with any and all of the children in this neighborhood providing simple, creative lessons about hope, joy, love and peace in order to strengthen spirits.  Using music, art, puppets, games and food, Sidewalk Ministry's traveling classroom arrives at 10 a.m. each Saturday morning, October through May, at Reed Park inviting children to practice listening, reading, writing, speaking and relationship building skills in a non-threatening environment. Parents and school officials report this program brings a broader learning experience, encourages more attention to school work and improves self-esteem while also building knowledge and skills.  To date Sidewalk Ministry has touched the lives of over 700 children and their families, and involved more than 125 GUMC volunteers.

In addition, there are two special times during the year when Sidewalk Ministry makes a big difference to the children who attend - at Christmas and during the Back to School time.  Our very first year several children told us, “Santa doesn't know where I live now.”  Others reported they didn't have needed supplies to do their school work.  So GUMC created a Christmas celebration in mid-December complete with individual gifts, and in late July a Backpack program to assure our Sidewalk children were prepared with all the needed supplies for a successful school year.