Helping Children

Looking for a Local Mission project?
Want to help children?
Want to make a real difference?
Come to Friendship Place!

basketweaving project Friendship Place is a mission project that goes to the children where they live. Supported by several Rochester Christian churches, it has been located in the Meadow Park Apartment complex since March of 1999. In July of 2003 we moved across the street to a house at 1429 4th Ave SE.

Rochester churches currently contributing time and/or money include:

Autumn Ridge Church*
First Presbyterian Church*
Rochester Covenant Church*
Berean Community Church*
Meadow Park Church of Christ
Evangel United Methodist Church
Calvary Evangelical Free Church
Mount Olive Lutheran Church

* Responsible for administration of Friendship Place

Friendship Place collaborates with a number of area organizations:

American Red Cross
Camp Victory Ministries
Olmsted County Extension
Olmsted County 4-H
Rochester Park and Recreation
Rochester Public Schools
Girl Scouts
Ironwood Springs Ranch

School Year Program

Safe, caring environment
Cross cultural learning
Role modeling
Academic tutoring

Summer Program

During the summer, the organizations staffing Friendship Place take a week at a time in rotation or run special classes or programs on one or more days.

4:00 - 5:30 p. m.

sewing craft project After school activities for elementary school aged children.

One on one attention
Homework help
Games
Snacks
Crafts

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Mondays

Cooking

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Tutoring for Middle and High School aged youth.

The range of need is great as these young people come for help their families cannot give them. They bring everything from ESOL to Honors English, arithmetic to calculus. AU levels of tutoring are needed. This is an opportunity for young people to do peer tutoring and adults to act as role models in valuing education.

Some of the ongoing projects:

Reading Project - rewarding reading.
Cooking - including basic nutrition as well as food preparation.
Gardening - in cooperation with 4H and the UM Extension Service.
Sewing Class - learning basic sewing skills making garments and quilts.
Olmsted County Fair - The children have won ribbons for garden produce and quilts.
Crafts, arts and model building
Outdoor games
Bicycle Repair

air powered pop bottle rocket We are always looking for new summer projects, especially ones for boys. One thing they REALLY want is someone to come and play basketball with them!

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me...” Matt. 25:35b

We can give money to feed the hungry, or clothe the naked, but it takes a personal contact to welcome a stranger.

piggyback ride The population we serve is composed mostly of Somalis, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians. Many are refugees from war; others are migrants or people who have moved to Rochester from other parts of the U.S. in search of a better life. They are of diverse religious backgrounds, and we respect their right to their beliefs. We actively seek to demonstrate the love of Christ by our actions in service to them all.

Friendship Place is a ministry of Olmsted Outreach, a Minnesota not for profit corporation.

To learn more about Friendship Place or to volunteer as a group, family or individual contact one of the four churches responsible for administration of Friendship Place.

To make a tax deductible donation to Friendship Place, contact Olmsted Outreach.

Any contribution will be gratefully accepted.

“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.” Matt. 25:40