Golf team members volunteer to care for kids

On Oct. 10, when the third session of the SEEDS free English as a second language (ESL) classes began meeting at Faith Church, 2124 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster, a few extra child care helpers were there to share their golf skills with the youngest attendees.

"Tonight our Conestoga Valley High School golf team will help provide the childcare," said Kristen Hershey prior to the event. Kristen is vice president with the nonprofit SEEDS, an organization formed over the last several years to serve residents of the Conestoga Valley School District. Kristen's husband, Brandon, who coaches the team, volunteered players to help out for the evening. "Brandon (and the team) will take the kids outside to play and introduce them to some golf skills as a fun way to keep busy," said Kristen.

SEEDS stands for selfless love, empowerment, equity, deliberate partnership, and stewardship. The idea for the organization was initiated by Conestoga Valley School District social worker Katie Reiff when she recognized specific needs in the community that were not being met. SEEDS leadership has chosen to focus on education, housing, and health, and the group works to meet specific goals in each category.

SEEDS' first education project was the free ESL classes. According to Kristen, the current session involves 16 volunteer teachers divided between two weekly classes which will be held for six weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This session is serving 30 adult learners and up to 25 children. Each gathering begins with a meal at 5:30 p.m., followed by classes from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Oct. 10 session was an assessment night, so representatives of the Lancaster Literacy Council were on hand to provide evaluations. "We partner with Lancaster Literacy Council, and they provide all the curriculum," explained Kristen.

Kristen said that the classes are designed for adult learners, since children receive instruction at school. "Our school district is quite diverse with languages," she noted. "There are more than 35 spoken languages in our district." The wide range of languages Kristen mentioned include the native tongues of Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Ukraine, and Russia, along with some African and Asian countries.

For the Oct. 10 meal, members of the golf team reached out to Pasquale's for pasta dinners. The owner donated food from the restaurant for the evening. "Leftovers are boxed up and sent home with the ESL families," said Kristen.

SEEDS is planning to roll out new programs soon through partnerships with local organizations and community members that will provide counseling services and occupational therapy.

More information about SEEDS may be found at https://seedscv.com.