Project Shine

Our annual Project S.H.I.N.E. (Serving Him In Neighborhoods Everywhere) is a way to bless our community while fundraising to meet the needs of the ministry to students at Aletheia Christian Academy. Students across our entire campus will be assigned to an area of the community that is in need and will work to bless others.

Each student will earn prizes for the amount of pledges they raise as our way of saying thank you to the students for their hard work.

Why Project S.H.I.N.E.?

ACA's focal verse has always been Psalm 43:3a - "Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me."  The concept behind Project S.H.I.N.E is to send our students out into the community to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to spread God's Light to those in need.  All money raised will go into the school's Annual Fund to be used for a variety of ministry needs. 

Students will  learn the joy of service, experience hands-on learning, and possibly learn a new skill.  They will see immediate results for their efforts and have the pleasure of serving others.  Each student will find several donors to sponsor them for a day's work.  We do NOT charge any individual or business for our volunteer service.

This year, we served in the following ways:

• Pre-K through 2nd graders blessed the military and homeless.  They made homemade cards for our overseas troops and placemats for the USO/Loaves and Fishes Thanksgiving Dinner, as well as packing gift bags for Acts 27:28 Homeless Ministries.  The joy on their faces as they worked was a sweet blessing to those who witnessed it.
• The 3rd grade class visited Azalea Trace Retirement Community, led a chapel service, and made crafts with the residents before joining them for lunch.  The children and the residents were blessed by the company of the other, and the students' appreciation for the elderly was enhanced.
• The 4th grade class worked at Manna Food Pantries, who provides food for the needy in Escambia County.  The students worked pulling weeds in the fresh foods garden and sorted and bagged food in the pantry warehouse.  It was a great eye-opener for students who see how many people in our community are in need.
• The 5th and 6th grade classes joined Hillcrest Baptist Church on Nine Mile Road in preparing and packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  This ministry, sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, sends items to children in need across the world and is a great way to help people realize that they can make a different in someone's life by giving.
• The 7th grade class went to Ronald McDonald House to help clean and organize.  The Ronald McDonald House helps families of sick children by providing free accommodations near the hospital where their child is admitted so that the child has the support and presence of their family while undergoing health challenges.
• The 8th and 9th grade girls visited Nemours Children's Clinic, where they sang uplifting songs, played games, and visited with the children.  This event was very inspirational to the children and staff at Nemours, and their appreciation was relayed to our girls repeatedly.  Our students were very touched by the children and the struggles they were facing, and their love and empathy for the hurting was strengthened.
• The 8th and 9th grade boys helped Grace Community Church move a playground.  The playground equipment and fencing had to be taken down and set back up in the new location.  The church was very grateful for the help that our students provided, and our students had the satisfaction of knowing that their labor was a blessing to God's children.
• 10th-12th graders were divided into groups which ministered to different churches.  One group helped Hillcrest Spanish Trail to canvas the community and place door hangers for their annual fall festival, called "Rock the Block."  The other group went to Olive Baptist Church to help them setup all the decorations and games for their annual fall festival.  Hundreds of families were impacted by their efforts.
• Our varsity soccer players served Olive Baptist Church by painting miles of parking curbs to help prevent tripping and parking mishaps.   They were happy to view their achievement after hours of hard work.