Kids Who Shine

because they’re not sure if there’s a place for their child who has special needs. We’re so excited to have this program at First Baptist.”

Being involved with the ministry has been a blessing for Jones and the other volunteers. And once someone meets the people in the program, it’s easy to see why. Not only are they interested in being involved with their peers and giving back to the community, but they also have a desire to learn about Jesus. “It never ceases to amaze me,” Jones says. “They have such an innocence and pureness of their hearts, and they love that Jesus loves them.”

For anyone who has heard about the ministry and thought about getting involved, Jones encourages them to give it a try — whether it be a husband and wife, an entire family, or someone who wants to volunteer on their own. “We’ve had some people who have said, ‘I never knew how awesome it would be,’” she says. “You never know who you’re going to meet and how they’re going to impact your life.”

Jones works with new volunteers to go over the basics of working with the group in Our Place. But, most are surprised to see they come away from the experience with a lot more than they expected. “As a volunteer or teacher, you think you’re the one who’s serving,” Jones says. “But, you’re the one who’s learning.”

Jones has a long history of working with children, teens, and adults with special needs — though that wasn’t her initial intentions. Originally an English major, Jones wanted to teach at a college level. However, God had other plans for her life. She’s now been working in special education for 26 years. “I love it. No two days are ever the same,” Jones says. “I get to help students and their families. God has presented me with an awesome opportunity.”

Jones teaches the life skills academy for special needs at Hewitt-Trussville High School, coordinates the Special Olympics Unified Sports and Recreation/Leisure programming, and is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Independence Place. Though not a ministry of First Baptist Church Trussville, Independence Place uses some of the rooms and facilities at the church to meet the social and recreational needs of adults with exceptional needs.

Our Place also had an extension program called Fun Friends, which ran quarterly. The

program provided activities for people with special needs, giving their parents the chance to go on dates or spend time with their other siblings. Jones said they hope to restart it monthly when it’s safe to do so. “Their parents get excited anytime there’s a fun, scheduled activity with volunteers who are happy and willing to serve,” Jones says. “It’s designed just for their kids.”

All of these faith-based ministries — Our Place, Independence Place, and Fun Friends — exist to serve the entire family. Jones hopes anyone who has thought about working with those with special needs will consider getting involved. Whether someone is looking for a church home, a place to worship, would like to serve in Our Place, or has a family member with special needs, they can find that all at First Baptist Church Trussville. “We welcome volunteers from the community who don’t have a church home or want to be involved with a special needs program but aren’t members,” Jones says.

First Baptist Church Trussville is located at 128 North Chalkville Rd. Both members and non-members of all ages are invited to get involved with Our Place and Independence Place. For more information, email Jones at carriej@fbctrussville.org. To learn more about Independence Place, visit Iptrussville.org.

Tykie Sfakianos Karim Mikhail An example of the Google Jamboard that TS Tutoring implements to serve students while social distancing.

BY JEANA DURST

Two Hoover High School students bring a whole new meaning to helping others with the free TS tutoring program they’ve launched this year. TS stands for “teach to succeed” tutoring, a program they started developing in March through a partnership with the Birmingham Urban League. Their goal is to serve underserved communities, though they tutor and help any middle school or high schooler who needs it. Currently, TS Tutoring operates 100 percent virtually, but in the future they will look at going in-person.

The idea grew out of a desire to make a difference. “We are both involved in service opportunities at the high school, but during this time we found ourselves without those usual fulfilling opportunities, so we were thinking that virtual tutoring could be something we could provide,” Mikhail says. He and Sfakianos agreed to partner and as the summer progressed and they thought more about the pervasive challenges of racial inequality in our country, they focused on minority underserved communities. They sent a cold email to the Birmingham Urban League, and the relationship just grew from there.

Both young men had been informally assuming a tutoring role for a while. “I’ve had experience with math tutoring,” Sfakianos says. Mikhail, on the other hand, loved to help his friends with chemistry. “I found myself naturally gravitating to that teaching approach and found a lot of pleasure just helping my friends,” he says. Though they have interest in both math and science, their tutoring extends to all subject matters.

Tutoring sessions are scheduled through their website, and they use Skype and Google Jamboard, an online interactive whiteboard platform which allows them to draw together in real time, to tutor students. Right now, TS Tutoring predominantly serves students in the Birmingham City School district. With the backing of Birmingham Urban League, they never have to charge any student for sessions. “We are trying to maximize our output with minimal resources,” Mikhail says. Currently, they serve four to five students each week in slots from 30 minutes to two hours.

As it turns out, they are learning as much as their students from this experience. “We both have developed pretty good time management skills,” Sfakianos says. Additionally, they have appreciated those moments when the light bulb comes on for the students they work with. “When you see this kind of energy within them where they want to repeat everything you just said and when they are asking questions and are curious— that’s the most fulfilling thing. To hear from them that this really helped them in class is just an unbelievable feeling. There are a lot of growth opportunities for us as well, not just for tutoring, but for interacting with people more effectively,” Mikhail says.

Both students have their sights set on attending medical school in the future – Sfafkianos wants to be an emergency medicine physician and Mikhail aspires to focus on neuroscience. One thing is certain: wherever they land, they will continue to impact the lives of others in a positive way.

To learn more or schedule a session, visit www. tstutoring.net.

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