1
Who can come to Our House?
School-aged children (K-12th) who live in or around Ridgecrest can come to Our House after school for snack/tutoring and enrichment activities. We seek to build community with our neighbors and periodically host gatherings for the whole family – this is a fun time when parents, grandparents, younger siblings, and/or cousins of Our Kids join us, as well as others in the neighborhood.
2
Is Our House affiliated with a particular church?
Our House is a ministry of By Our Love, a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation. While it is a Christian ministry, we are not affiliated with a particular denomination or church – we simply love Jesus and love others. Our Founders and Board Members attend different churches and we receive support from several local churches.
3
What schools do the Our House kids attend?
Richland: K-1st
Creekside: 2nd-3rd
Yarbrough: 4th-5th
Drake: 6th
East Samford: 7th
Auburn Jr. High: 8th-9th
Auburn High: 10th-12th
4
How is Our House different from Boys and Girls Club? Do you compete with Boys and Girls Club?
Our House is similar to Boys and Girls Club in certain ways, yet we operate within a Christian home environment. It is important to us for Our Kids to be loved and discipled, as well as to receive help with homework, etc. Like Boys and Girls Club, we serve students who can benefit from positive role models and a sense of community. However, we are do not provide childcare. If a child is not cooperating, he/she will be asked to leave.
4
What is Breakfast Club?
A Serve Team from Church of the Highlands hosts Breakfast Club on the first Saturday of each month. This is a wonderful time of food and fellowship for the whole family. In addition to serving a big breakfast, there is time for play, a Bible message and prayer. The Serve Team also helps with various projects on an as needed basis.
4
How do I sign my child up for Our House?
We would love to be able to accommodate all the students who want to come to Our House, but our space is limited. Those who would like to be a part of Our House need to speak to Mrs. René. She will make a determination based upon the age/grade of the student and how many other students we already have in that grade. Priority is given to families who live in Ridgecrest. We do not accept elementary students who are not enrolled at Richland, Creekside or Yarbrough.
4
How is Our House funded?
We have been blessed with the generous financial support of many individuals, local churches and several family foundations. As a result, we own both houses and are debt free. Monthly donors have committed funds to help cover a portion of our operating budget. Our fundraising efforts are focused around sharing our excitement over what God is doing through this ministry. We have not applied for government grants to support our work, as there are often strict guidelines and/or limitations on how those funds can be used.