Last week, while traveling out of the country, I went into a McDonalds (I know – not very adventurous of me).  I like my hamburgers plain – just bun and meat.

Speaking no Portuguese, I used a lot of hand motions to order, and then the cashier and I played “point and nod,” using a big picture of a hamburger on display.  And wonders of wonders, it worked – my hamburger was perfect.  (In the U.S., there’s about a 50/50 chance it is served plain, even though I ask specifically for “just bun and meat.”)  I felt amazing – I had communicated!!

For many families with children who attend The Leaven, seeing their children improve their reading is also amazing.  Mom and Dad know that an education is an important key to success, so it’s exciting when their children are succeeding in school, seeing scores on the State tests climb up, and even enjoying reading.

And some of those children go home and teach their parents to speak and read English – isn’t that amazing?  Your investment in The Leaven is changing the future for kids, and giving their parents an amazing gift, too.

I’m currently reading a book that began with the sinking of the Titanic.  Right now, the main character, who survived that catastrophe, is involved in World War 1.  I’m enjoying the plot, and re-learning a bit of world history that I’ve forgotten in the years since high school.

Knowing the language makes a huge difference when we travel, and being able to read makes a huge difference in our future opportunities, and opens up a world of knowledge to us.  Thank you for helping us give boys and girls the “key” to success by helping them learn to read and communicate with others.

Over the last several months, The Leaven has forged a close relationship with the airmen and women at Travis Air Force Base.  It’s exciting to see how the military personnel have interacted with our students, being “hands on” in a number of activities at our Northern California sites.

As many of the students are first-generation Americans, this opportunity to see “civics” up close and personal is a wonderful lesson.  And, I suspect that when they talk about Memorial Day in their classrooms later this month, it will have a deeper meaning because they have met some of the men and women who are putting their lives on the line for our freedom.

Walt Whitman concluded his poem, “Dirge for Two Veterans,” with these words:

The moon gives you light,

And the bugles and the drums give you music,

And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,

My heart gives you love.

Your support of The Leaven allows us to help our students improve their reading and learn math—but it also gives them the opportunity to become a part of our community and learn what makes this a wonderful place to live.  And the partnership we have with Travis Air Force Base helps give our children a love for America and a deep respect for our military.  It’s a joy to help them understand and appreciate our beloved country.

You are having such a deep impact on our children, in many ways that you may not even realize.  Thank you for showing such extraordinary love for our Leaven kids!

Every now and then, a dollar bill (or one of a larger denomination) comes into my possession stamped with the website www.wheresgeorge.com.  Have you seen any of those bills?

They are part of a tracking program to see how currency travels through regular usage.  The first tracked bill was put into circulation in 1998, and more than 206 million bills are currently being tracked.

Why?  Just for fun. . . .

I have enjoyed this site for a number of years (well, actually since I entered the first bill I came across in 2005).  It’s interesting to see the “travels” of a piece of legal tender, as it’s described on the face of the bill.

You know, while we aren’t “stamped,” every one of us has interesting travels, as well.  It may be to the store or across the ocean.  But the experiences we have and the people we talk to help make us who we are and can make our day “fun,” too.

That’s the neat thing about our Leaven students.  We don’t know where, in the future, they will turn up.  Some may become teachers or doctors, or politicians or artists.  When we touch their lies, as a volunteer, a sponsor or a donor, we can’t begin to imagine where life is going to take them.  And we may never know (just like, of the dollar bills I’ve entered, most have never been reported by anyone else after that).  But maybe someday we’ll see a child (who is all grown up) and say, “That’s a Leaven kid!”

Thanks for helping our students along the path of life.  It’s going to be fun to see where they travel over the years!

Summer seems to appeal to all our senses. Watching baseball, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the hum of the air conditioner, the taste of hot dogs right off the grill, running barefoot in the sand. . .

Because of our Leaven supporters, we’re making sure our boys and girls can create special memories this coming summer, too. At The Groves, our new Leaven Choir will be continuing. The students at Vacaville Christian High School will be teaching soccer to our children at our Summer Success program.

There’s a particular delight in seeing the face of a student the first time he or she steps into a lake to swim. Being able to give this “first” to our Leaven kids is a special blessing.

The wise person who penned the book of Ecclesiastes wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity.” It’s a special privilege to be in this season of planning for Summer Success because of the proven impact it has on our students.

Thank you for partnering with The Leaven to give our children the opportunity to enjoy a time to succeed and a time to have fun–but most importantly, giving us the opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

Peter M. Gaudet, Board President

The Leaven’s newest site director is Greg Gelnette, who joined us at our Phoenix Drive location.

Greg comes to The Leaven after more than a decade in church youth ministry, including The Father’s House in Vacaville. Greg spent the first several years of his life in the Yukon Territory where his parents were missionaries. He returned to the U.S. for third grade, settling in Solano County.

Greg is excited about the opportunities at Phoenix Drive, and working with the students there to help them improve their reading ability and performance in the classroom. “I want to help the children meet their goals in school, and really want to learn,” he said. “The Leaven is an excellent opportunity to help children and model Christ’s love to them.”

We also welcome Mike Tadlock, our Church and Community Coordinator. Mike is no stranger to our Leaven family, as he has been a great supporter of our program while serving as pastor of New Community Church in Fairfield.

Mike will be introducing The Leaven to more churches in Solano County, helping recruit volunteers and sponsors—the backbone of our program. He will be continuing the work begun by Joseph Lugo who is now Assistant Director of The Leaven.

We welcome Greg and Mike to our Leaven team!

Read Greg and Mike’s biographies.

Summer Success combines a strong emphasis on reading with special activities like field trips, gymnastics, a soccer program and art classes. Children have the opportunity to try some new activities, and also see their reading improve —sometimes by two grade levels over the summer!

Experts calculate that the typical student loses two to three months of reading and math skills over the summer, with low-income students slipping back even more.* The Leaven’s Summer Success is a proven answer to what is known as the “summer slide.”

Each of our centers will offer different opportunities, depending on the special skills of volunteers. Of course, reading will be a regular part of Summer Success as children are encouraged to read books that interest them. Experiencing reading “just for fun” is a wonderful way to open student’s eyes to the world of literature while helping them improve their reading comprehension.

Thanks to our sponsors and volunteers who make Summer Success possible. It’s the perfect way to prepare our Leaven kids to return to school in the fall — and give them a fun summer, too.

* Source for stat about “summer slide” – L. A. Times, http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/07/local/la-me-summer-20110707

And we certainly didn’t expect to have a Leaven Children’s Choir! With music education a victim of budget cuts in our schools, Kara Lugo, site director at The Groves, decided last fall to invite the students at that center to participate in a choir. The goal was to present a few songs at the 2011 Wine and Cheese Auction Social.

The children enjoyed performing so much—and our guests appreciated their music—so Kara decided to make the choir a regular part of The Leaven’s program at The Groves.
Once a week, up to 20 boys and girls stay after The Leaven center officially closes for choir practice. They truly enjoy singing, and consider it an honor to be in the choir. Because of their enthusiasm, Kara plans to continue the choir year-round, making it part of “Summer Success” at The Groves.

“Right now, the students are learning ‘Lean On Me,’” Kara recently stated. “The song is enjoyable to sing, but the words also have a terrific message for the children: ‘I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on…’

“Many of the children struggle in life, so it’s a huge encouragement for them to know they can lean on our Leaven volunteers and staff, and Jesus,” she concluded.

The Leaven Children’s Choir will be performing at local churches to help Leaven staff promote volunteering, and they are open to presenting their music at other civic functions. To book the Leaven Children’s Choir, contact Joseph Lugo at Joseph@MyLeaven.org.

A few weeks ago, I went go-karting for the first time ever.  I confess, I was the slowest in each race – but years of defensive driving can’t be erased in one afternoon.

Or can it?  We’ll find out today when The Leaven’s 2nd Annual Copart Solano Great Race kicks off.  Thanks to all our great sponsors who are making this event possible.  And we hope all the racers are well-rested, because this is going to be one exciting event!

Our annual events are one important way we raise money for our five after-school centers.  If you haven’t already checked it out, visit http://www.myleaven.org/golf/ to sign up for our 2^nd annual Golf Classic.  Mercedes-Benz and Ford of Fairfield are the sponsors this year, so a big “thanks” goes out to them!  There’s an early-bird discount, but it’s only through April 30, so go online today so you don’t miss out.

And that reminds me – “May Day” is next Tuesday (May 1).  May Day has been celebrated for centuries.  In fact, during the Middle Ages, English villages all had their own Maypole. I’ve read that villages would compete to see which one could have the tallest Maypole.  (Glad they didn’t spot our California redwood and sequoia trees; they are so much better growing for our enjoyment than being cut down as a Maypole.)

A few other things about May—May is National Strawberry Month and National Asparagus Month.  (I haven’t found a recipe that uses both; do you have one you want to share with us?)  It’s also Correct Posture Month and Better Sleep Month.

How about if between us, we make May “National Leaven Month”?   We can celebrate the great things our students are doing as they study, read, play and grow.  That sure beats twirling around a Maypole, don’t you think?!

Now that spring break is over, many students are eagerly calculating how much longer to summer vacation.  (Good practice in math if nothing else!)  Yet there is still much to learn, as well as testing for many students.  So, to help us empathize with our Leaven students, here are some test questions for you!

STORY PROBLEM 1:  According to Mapquest.com, it is 437.74 miles between Fairfield, CA (where four Leaven sites are located) and Rialto, CA, home to our Southern California branch.  Driving an average of 65 miles per hour, how long will it take to get between the two locations?

STORY PROBLEM 2:  Last school year, 88 percent of Leaven students exhibited improved reading skills and comprehension.  If there are 125 students enrolled at our centers, how many students are better readers now because of your support of The Leaven?

STORY PROBLEM 3:  The average Leaven student received 575 hours of tutoring help in a year.  How many volunteers are needed to make that possible?

In case you actually got out your #2 pencil and are trying to calculate the answers, you’ll notice that problem #3 doesn’t provide enough information to solve the problem.    But that’s OK, because the truth is, our volunteers are helping all our students become stars in their classroom!  The Leaven is blessed to have a tremendous group of volunteers in each location, and that makes the difference between failure and success for many students.

We say it often in this blog, but it’s worth repeating – thank you!  You – volunteer, donor, supporter – are the reason why The Leaven is changing the future for our children.    Abraham Lincoln, our 16^th president, once said, “My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”  Thanks for helping us give children that excitement for reading that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.

And just for fun, here’s another quote by Mr. Lincoln that I love:  “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.”

What are you reading today?  Take a minute and share a book recommendation with other readers of this blog.  And thanks for being a “best friend forever” to The Leaven.

Thinking back, I realized how much these people were still influencing my life, in the sense that the values they encouraged still direct my actions today.

That’s why being a Leaven volunteer is so important—even on those days when the kids simply won’t sit still or they just don’t seem motivated to study.

Forest Witcraft, a Boy Scout leader and administrator back in the mid-twentieth century, wrote these words in 1950:

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove . . . but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”

Across the country, Major League Baseball has begun.  Opening Day was a big deal for players, fans—and yes, advertisers.  Yet, no matter how much the players practiced and how good the team record was in Spring Training, exactly one-half of the teams lost their first game of 2012.

We can’t afford to have half our children lose the “game of life.”  They deserve the opportunity to have the world of knowledge opened to them.

Sure, they will fail a test, lose a race or hurt someone’s feelings from time to time.  But The Leaven’s volunteers are there to help them start over again.

Did you know that that Walt Disney, early in his career, was fired by a newspaper editor because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas”?

We may—or may not—have the next Walt Disney sitting in our Leaven Center today, but we know that we have nearly 200 children who are all just as important in the eyes of God.  Thanks to all our volunteers who take the time to help our students succeed.  It matters—to us at The Leaven and to the students.  And, yes, I believe it matters to God, who created these precious boys and girls.