Sanctuary Arts Community: arts workshops and contemplative group time.

Sanctuary is a partnership between Starlight Ministries and area churches to reach homeless and street-involved youth, gathering every Tuesday night at Christ the King Church in Central Square (99 Prospect Street, 2 blocks from the Central Square T-stop).  Each Tuesday night gathering incorporates a family-style meal, art workshops, and contemplative group time, endeavoring to provide community to those who may not feel welcome in a traditional church setting.

Grace Street has been involved with this group from the very beginning (May 2007), and we are excited to welcome new volunteers at any level of commitment!  Our team provides critical logistical service each week (arranging tables, hanging decorations...) and once a month we provide the evening meal (cooking for 30 people).

If you are interested in getting involved or want more information, please contact Dan Bryan at dan@gracestreet.org.

Dorchester Academy Tutoring and After-School Activities:

Grace Street is celebrating our fourth year in Dorchester at Dorchester Academy, one of Boston’s inner-city high schools.  Over the past four years we have had the privilege of serving the school community and developing relationships with the students, faculty and administration there.  Because so much opportunity and privilege has been awarded to us, our desire is to give back to and embrace the city in which we live.  Out of this desire was birthed our friendship with Dorchester Academy.  Each week we have the privilege to  work alongside the teachers and see the kids begin to grasp concepts, succeed, and care about themselves and their work. 

After school each Wednesday, we offer a cooking class for up to 50 kids, where we cook a dinner and then eat together in the cafeteria.  Many friendships have been formed with these students, and we continue to connect with some of them even after they graduate, encouraging them in their college endeavors and offering any help needed.  We are so blessed by these relationships, and they have forever changed our lives.

We are excited this fall to introduce two new after-school activities.  On Thursday afternoons, we will have a poetry workshop, entitles "Poetry Works". With an emphasis on the spoken word genre, we will be encouraging students to express themselves and to find their poetic voice.

Our second pilot project this fall is a drama class/workshop on Friday afternoons, led by an award-winning drama coach.  We look forward to another after-school opportunity for the students of DA, and our hope is that lots of kids will find something to be a part of this fall.

There are lots of ways  for YOU to get involved! We bring multiple tutoring teams to the school each week during the school day for 1-2 blocks, and now we have three after-school activities to help with. 

If you are interested in joining us or want more information, please contact Terry RiCharde at terry@gracestreet.org.