Loving Lamar
A collective impact initiative led by St. John the Divine
The Loving Lamar ministry is a collective impact initiative led by St. John the Divine (with support from Bethany Christian Church and St. Luke’s Methodist Church) to intentionally live out Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbor through collaborative efforts that support Lamar High School’s students, teachers and administrators, making connections, leveraging relationships, and providing financial and volunteer support.
Volunteer opportunities are available to support, educate, and ultimately enhance the lives of Lamar students.
Resources
Resume Writing Lab
Lamar High School FFA Show & Auction
Since 1960, the annual Lamar FFA Livestock Show & Auction is held every spring on the campus of Lamar High School. There is usually a showing of the students' livestock and judging of the animals on a Thursday evening with a dinner and auction on the following Saturday evening in April (days & dates subject to change). Keep an eye out for the big tent to attend this fun for all ages free-entry event! For more information about this event or how you can help to support Lamar FFA, contact Caroline Hassell at carolinehassell98@gmail.com.
Loving Lamar Impact — What the Loving Lamar initiative has done recently
- Hand-wrote 180 notes of encouragement to Lamar teachers and staff
- Delivered snacks for faculty and staff at in-service days before the 2021/2022 school year began
- Donated 400 pre-paid bus passes for students in need who have no other way to get to school because of economic limitations
- Offered a safe place at SJD for students to have internet access to do their homework
- Created a webinar to be held in the fall and spring semesters regarding How to Write a Resume and How to Interview as well as mock interview options
- In collaboration with CCSC provided emergency services to several Lamar families
- Coordinated with Lamar’s Wrap-Around Services and Communities-In-Schools to organize regular on-campus family counseling visits and clergy, rabbi, and imam pastoral visits (COVID restrictions limited implementation of on-campus visits in 2021)
- Organized off-campus volunteer opportunities for Lamar students and teachers
- Assisted in bringing private business owners to Lamar’s job fair, helping more than 100 students find internships and full-time work
- Organized on and off-campus cooking and restaurant business management classes for Lamar’s culinary students
- Provided judges from the Houston Livestock and Rodeo World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Committee for the annual Lamar BBQ competition
- Provided adult mentors for Lamar students and supporters for teachers
- Held multiple meetings with Lamar leaders to find out how St. John the Divine, Bethany Christian, and St. Luke’s Methodist can help
- Organized monthly speaker series (bilingual) for Lamar parents given by licensed professional counselors at the Nick Finnegan Counseling Center (a ministry of St. Luke’s Methodist Church)
- Provided professional family counselors to Lamar students, parents, teachers, and administrators