Adopt-A-Student Information

More than you want to know about Adopt-A-Student
STARTS IN OCTOBER!
Back in the early 1980’s, Trinity had an active Adopt-A-Student program that some of our current members remember fondly. Bill Strickland, tells of the friendships he formed with students who now return to the campus years later and would not even consider being in Tuscaloosa on Sunday morning anywhere but on the pew beside Bill and Martha at Trinity United Methodist Church. That is not our Adopt-A-Student program’s prime function, but it is a very gratifying side benefit. The program is intended to provide support primarily to students who are new to Tuscaloosa and need or want a Tuscaloosa family to help when they have needs for information about Tuscaloosa, assistance when difficulties arise, encouragement when school gets tough, a place to find rest and relaxation when stress levels rise—in other words, a home away from home. We expected to serve freshmen and international students, primarily, but our experience this first year has shown us that students of all types might want a T’Town connection! We plan to duplicate many of the activities that led to the pairings last year. For several weeks at the beginning of the fall semester, the Adopt-A-Student program is advertised in the worship services. A questionnaire for students and a questionnaire for Trinity members who want to be host families is available, and interested folks are encouraged to complete the forms and turn them in to the church office. The Adopt-A-Student committee uses the information on these forms to pair one or two students with each Trinity family who volunteered to be a host family. The students and host families will be invited to a special noon contemporary worship service where they are introduced. After that, the relationships between the student and his or her host family develop as the student’s needs and wants dictated. This year, we plan to have cluster groups of families (hosts and adoptees) that will be available for support and will gather from time to time for socials and sharing of experiences and advice that will strengthen the relationships. The term of this “adoption” is one academic year. The names go back into the hat for reassignments by the Adopt-A-Student committee the following year.		Activities (Don't try to do all these activities all the time!) •Sit together at worship services •Sunday Lunch •Lunch or supper during the week •Attend Wednesday Night at Trinity together •Exchange of greeting cards on birthdays and special occasions •Information on §Off-campus health professionals §Towing services §Locksmiths §Automobile dealership service §Hair care •Stress support (eg.: exam week): phone calls of encouragement, goodies basket, bouquets, a quieter place to study) •Off-campus place to do laundry, wash the car, relax •Recreational activities together (sports events, outings, picnics, movies, etc.) •Laudatory correspondence with parents (with student permission, of course!) •E-mail correspondence •Introductions to other Trinity members •Intercessory prayer for the student