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A New Chapter -- Intro:

Welcome to this UMTV Web Brief; I’m Reed Galin.

It’s been said, “Your future is an open book.” That adage certainly applies to some children at an elementary school in New York. Through the kindness of strangers, this financially strapped school now has a modern library, and the students have important tools to help them succeed. Jim Melchiorre has the story.

A New Chapter -- Story:

Principal Emily Grimball is emotional because a seemingly impossible dream has come true. Until now, her school children were expected to learn, to excel, even though they never had a library.

Emily Grimball / Principal, The Mohegan School: “They said to me, ‘We’ll have an opportunity to read and read and read.’ And this opens up a whole new world for them.”

The kids at Mohegan School now have books to read, a place to study, a library in which to work on research papers … with the help of the people from Christ Church United Methodist.

Christ Church sits on Manhattan’s fashionable Park Avenue, seven miles – but a world apart – from Mohegan’s “blue-collar” neighborhood in the Bronx.

The Rev. Stephen Bauman / Pastor, Christ Church United Methodist: “They clearly have reached out to one another. They’ve crossed enormous barriers, actually.”

And overcome serious physical challenges, too. Mohegan School had a huge but neglected room on the fifth floor when this project began during the cold New York City winter.

Faye Premer / Volunteer, Christ Church United Methodist: “The walls were a mess. There were holes that were this deep. So it’s really been amazing what the volunteers have been able to do.”

The children pitched in too, working every Saturday to create art for their library.

Emily Grimball: “I could not believe that a church would give so much to a community that was really unknown to them.”

Now these folks are no longer strangers. And as the construction of the library is finished, the building of friendship has only just begun.

A New Chapter -- Tag:

Plans are under way to build a small park next to The Mohegan School and folks in the community say that the people of Christ Church United Methodist will get a chance to play a big role in that project.

Unshackled—Intro:

Knowing someone cares about you is a fundamental need. Most of us can take for granted that there are such relationships in our lives. But for hundreds of kids, that simple idea can make the difference between a life locked up and a life full of potential.

Allysa Adams introduces us to some United Methodists who are taking the message of “unconditional love” inside prison walls.

Unshackled—Story:

Joaquin Pillado has a destructive streak. For years, that destructive energy was self-directed.

Joaquin Pillado: “I started doing drugs, starting huffing paint.”

At 16, he ended up in a juvenile jail with nothing but attitude to help him survive.

Joaquin Pillado: “I thought nobody cared about me; nobody liked me.”

That all changed when Joaquin stumbled upon a Chayah prayer meeting at the jail.

Joaquin Pillado: “That people really cared about me. That’s what was making sense.”

The United Methodist-supported Chayah Ministries is a group of volunteers who make weekly visits to this Arizona juvenile detention center. For about an hour, they sing, pray, talk and make a difference in these kids’ lives with simple efforts.

Jan Harrison / Chayah Ministries Volunteer: “By talking to them and listening to them, we validate their self-worth.”

The volunteers also tutor and mentor individuals both in and out of the detention center.

Once Nicholas Chvoscovsky got out of the detention center, he had no job and no place to stay. But he had contacts with Chayah volunteers.

Nicholas Chvoscovsky / Chayah Participant: “It definitely helped to expand the support network. When I got out of Adobe, I made phone calls to the volunteers and they really were there for me.”

Today, both Nick and Joaquin work for the company of a Chayah volunteer. Every day, they use the simple lessons learned from strangers who became friends.

Unshackled—Tag:

Chayah Ministries is an ecumenical group made up of volunteers from all faiths. In Phoenix, a number of United Methodist churches serve as the organizers and sponsors of the prison ministry.

On the next UMTV Web Brief, men walking in their fathers' footsteps.

Thanks for watching. Make it a good week.