Project Transformation North Texas

I had the honor of serving as both an Intern and Site Coordinator in their Summer and After-School Programs. As a program designed to impact college age adults, churches, and families in underserved communities, it more than accomplishes these goals year after year. It certainly acheived its goal of making me into a leader and contributor wherever I am at. It also helped solidify my call to serve others in nonprofits, be it faith-based or not. I also have had the joy to come back as a donor and volunteer over the years, and to see how it has grown and become stronger brings joy to my heart. If you're on the fence about giving your time or your funds to this nonprofit, just do it. There are countless testimonies I, and other interns (past and present) can give you about the power of this program, its transparency, and its impact. Thank you PT for helping me be who I am today and giving me my start.

I worked with this organization for a summer and my life was changed. The program opened my eyes to knew opportunities and my heart to knew things. The program also changed the lives of a good portion in their program.

I felt like I recieved more than what I gave. It was a blessing to serve.

Our church volunteered at Grace UMC, which was a first for their church and a reuniting with our Church with PT. It was a great experience and the Interns were awesome and so organized! The kids we read to were so adorable and really eager to read. We plan to be back next year!!

When you teach a child and are out of practice at it, you learn about yourself too. It's also amazing to see what a huge difference there is in abilities at such an early age in the kids. Always feel like I want to give more than just a few minutes to those those who would benefit from much more. Only wish I could have gone more days.

This is the 3rd year that I have had the privilege of reading with children. I love to hear when a student likes to read and they show excitement of the story. It was fun this year to work with a teen volunteer that was the son of a once teen that I had worked with on other projects. I thank each and every one of the interns for their service. Serving the meal for family night was great fun and was nice to see the interns and family interact. Look forward to serving another year. Nell Lind

I was only able to attend one day, but I certainly enjoyed the one day I was able to come. Working with Elementary age kids reminded me of my 24 years of teaching at the elementary level and it certainly was fun. The kids were lively, full of life and showed that they enjoyed that I was there. The kids showed that you did not have to be perfect just care enough to be there for them. It certainly was a wonderful experience.

Once again, I was so pleased at what was going on when I volunteered at Casa Linda. The kids were polite and cooperative, and they were engaged in their reading. Having books that were leveled more closely to the reading levels of the kids seemed to make a difference. I am glad I get to be a part of PT!

Project Transformation is an awesome experience for everyone involved-children, youth, parents, volunteers and interns. Keeping up reading skills during the Summer break is so important and they do such more more for the children and youth in the program. I love to read and want to instil the love of reading in the children.

i was an intern this past summer for Project Transformation and it was a one of a kind experience. The way PT connects college students with partner churches who sponsor them individually but then also connects site churches (where camp is held) with elementary and youth age students in need, is amazing. PT manages to cover so many different areas of need. After my summer w PT, i have been considering seeking ways to spread its ministry to other areas.

From volunteering, serving on the board, giving financially and promoting Project Transformation to others, I have always experienced happy children, working hard to read and happily enjoying the whole programs, dedicated interns who put others first and give all they have to learning how to serve others and a staff that never runs out of enthusiam and ideas to make Project Transformation the best program it can be! The joy of having a child pick you to read with them, then seeing the joy as they improve their reading thru the summer is awesome!! Family Nights are wonderful with parents and children playing, laughing and sharing a meal together! I am honored to be a part of this organization.

We've been involved with this non-profit since its inception - a volunteer, a board member, a financial supporter. We appreciate the way this organization meets the needs of the community with a win-win-win strategy: children win when a volunteer and young adult leader spend quality time with them, the young adults win by exploring a career of ministry and/or voluntarism, and the United Methodist Church wins with the encouragements these young adults receive. Very impressed with this organization.

I served with PT for a week as a part of the high school seek and serve program. I must say, I had no idea what I was getting into, but I had a fabulous time. Working alongside the interns at the St. Marks site was so much fun! I enjoyed everything from the fellowship, the worship, the service, and the education. I am considering applying to be a full-fledged intern next summer!

Two years ago my daughter signed up to be a volunteer from our church. She was devoted from the first day. This year I got involved as well. What a wonderful program run by extroidnary college students. The children are in a safe and fun environment. We've really enjoyed our experience.

My close involvement with Project Transformation started in 2003 when my son was an intern and I was asked by my Pastor at the time to be our church’s contact person. I said yes and have kept that position until today. I have seen how the program has grown and how they have touched the lives of the children and the interns that serve them. My son is now a Pastor and though he had that career choice in his heart, his Friday experience solidified his decision to attend Perkins Seminary. Project Transformation truly transforms lives as young adults are given leadership opportunities and create positive relationships with the children they serve. This has been a cross-generational mission for our church as we car pool our youth to our site church, donate supplies, healthy snacks, and provide intern meals. I have seen how our reading volunteers, young and old, have connected with the children at our site church. Over the years our church was able to supply four college interns to the program and after that we adopted interns from all over the country. It has been a privilege to get to know these young adults. They are all enthusiastic individuals with the children’s best interest at heart. I wish you could all hear the many success stories that I was privileged to hear. Education is the key to life long success. Project Transformation aims to close that gap in underserved areas. When my son was serving in 2003 at Elmwood UMC, he told me how they kept older siblings off the street by having them come and help with the younger siblings. What started as an elementary program grew to include the youth. What a success story when you hear that former at-risk-participants return as college interns!

I have been aware of and involved with PT for years! First, one of my family members was a PT intern many years ago - and that experience has affected each day of her life since, and that is not an over-statement. Through the course of those years I have volunteered and have been a financial donor. Through those varied experiences, I can attest to the life changing opportunities that PT has offered. I know different interns from years past . . . including one intern this year . . . PT makes a difference at every level.

Project Transformation is a life-altering organization....for the interns, the children it serves, for the volunteers and donors that provide the financial support. They are the most efficient organization you can imagine, taking the resources given to them and using them to their fullest extent. There is no doubt that any money you give is being used wisely to change lives now, not being stockpiled for down the road like some charities have done. This organization is a blessing to so many.

This organization has been life changing for me. I have been astounded by the growth and development I've seen in the children served in underprivileged neighborhoods because of this program. I have witnessed children grow from struggling to read, to graduating high school and being accepted to college. Project Transformation empowers young adults in leadership and ministry, and through my time with the organization I have built strong relationships and been empowered with great leadership responsibilities, helping unearth great passions I didn't know I even had. I would strongly recommend college students to do an internship with this organization, and I would recommend ANYONE to volunteer with this organization and help make an impact on a child's life!

I love PT. The interns are wonderful, they do such a great job, and they learn so much in the PT system. I have friends in Nashville & Mobile who have modeled programs after PT; that speaks volumes. The PT kids are great. I love going down to Oak Cliff UMC to read with them. I am honored to give financially, with in-kind donations, by taking our church's youth and families, and by always keeping PT on our church's radar. Here's a little anecdote about how our youth have learned from PT's work. Last year, we took a group of Jr. High youth to another US city and worked with a NGO for urban kids and youth. After 3 days with that group, I overheard two of our kids talking about how disappointed they were in the treatment of the program participants, the lack of direction given to the college interns who were running the program, and our kids couldn't discern any real objective for the program. One of them said, "It's just not like PT." Our two kids had been to PT a handful of times, and in that limited experience, PT set the bar. Keep up the good work, PT.

Project Transformation is what its name implies... it is a fantastic project that transforms lives - the lives of the children served and the lives of the college interns serving up a summer of learning, fun, nourishment and positive interactions with college role models. The lives of the children are changed when they are able to form relationships with these college students. Not only do they spend their summer productively, but they are inspired to aspire to become college students themselves! The interns often continue to help at risk children after completing their degrees by becoming teachers, social workers, ministers, and committed volunteers. It's a true WIN-WIN!

Project Transformation connects young adults, in meaningful hands-on ministry, to children and families in underserved areas. One of the primary aims of the organization is to connect children and families served with local churches through programming, facilitated by college age interns, focused on literacy, education, and character development. This organization does a stellar job of impacting the lives of community children and families, college age inters from across the nation, and local churches and their members.

I was invited to the Project Transformation luncheon as a guest and was simply blown away how this organization touches so many lives. Not only does it help children in less priviledged neighborhoods by improving their reading skills during the school year and summer but it also helps families to connect to their community and local churches. The college interns that help facilitate the program are driven and enthusiastic and make a real impact on the children and at the same time find their lives so impacted by those children that their career paths many times change. Not long after attending this luncheon in 2009, I found myself serving as a board member for this great organization.

I have been involved with PT in many capacities for the past 10 years. It is an organization that impacts the lives of SO many people - children, families, interns, college students, volunteers and communities. I was called to ministry through this organization and am extremely supportive of it now as a board member. I would encourage you to get involved with is in any way you can. It truly changes lives and God works powerfully through it!