Do you ever feel like you want to help but the problem feels too big?

We do…

We are Bedrock Fishtown, a new church in Philadelphia, that is committed to displaying God’s love to the city through listening and responding in love. When the Philadelphia Public School system committed to virtual learning through November 17th, a problem was created that was too big for any governing body or administration to solve alone. How do we keep our children safe while continuing to provide a positive learning environment for all children? We began asking and praying for ways we could be part of the solution for the upcoming school year.

God has been faithful to connect us with local leaders within our community that we can partner with to serve our new community. As a young church plant, we have been praying for opportunities like this. We want to display the love of God through tangible solutions that promote the welfare of the city that we have been placed in. We understand that this problem is too big for us to tackle alone. We have created a go fund me we pray that these opportunities display a taste of the kingdom through caring for those in need, listening, and displaying love in tangible ways.

For a family that has strong resources and a network, the problem can be solved by bringing together several families in a controlled environment and hiring a qualified individual to educate their children. While this is a great solution, it’s not a reality for under-resourced families. As we began to listen, we were told that while there was certainly a need for school supplies, the greatest need was a safe and positive learning environment. We were then connected with Krista Yutzy-Burkey who is the owner and director of PlayArts.

PlayArts is an indoor play space that has built its reputation on creating a positive environment where kids can learn and play. They took action by developing the PlayArts SchoolHouse  program for elementary-aged children. All students will attend a 4-hour block, 5 days a week, where they will receive in-person small group learning support.

When we connected with Krista it became evident that we were both committed to ensuring her program was accessible to individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds. In an effort to make this possible, Krista has set aside 6 slots at a discounted rate. We have committed to raising the funds to fill those slots with children from the Philly public school system that are under-resourced.

We understand that this is not going to solve the big problem that the families of our city are facing. If we wait to act until we have a solution that will solve our problem entirely, we will never act. We have the opportunity to rally behind these students and show them that Jesus loves them through a church that sees and cares for them.

Please pray with us that God uses this opportunity to display His love to our community and those in need. Currently, we are one third of a way towards our overall goal of $15,000. A breakdown of the need is listed below as well as a breakdown of the various ways to contribute towards the overall cost.

THE NEED

We need to raise $14,520 to send six under-resourced students to the PlayArts School House program.

THE COST

Here is the cost breakdown for a single student:

$11 – hour

$44 – day

$220 – week

$990 – month

$2,420 – semester (September 2 – November 17)

HOW YOU CAN BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION

  1. Give what you can. You can choose to support a student for an entire semester or just one hour, either way you are providing real change for a student in Philadelphia this year. GoFundMe – Philly Schoolhouse Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-place-to-learn-for-kids-in-need
  2. Share the cause. You can share the link to this GoFundMe page across all social media platforms. You can reach out to us at the email provided on this page and we would love to tell you more.
  3. Pray for and be active in your communities. Speak with your local teachers, administration, and parents about how you can be part of the solution in your community.