New Enrichment Guideline

[keianaParticipant]

I’m having trouble figuring out how to go about implementing enrichment ACTIVITIES! Has anyone already got the ball rolling and can give some ideas or refer me to a site for help?

Thanks in Advance!

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

I don’t know of anything specific yet — just the guidelines found at lds.org. Let me know if you find anything!

[Anonymous UserParticipant]

Hi. We are doing the following for the Activities this next year.
First we sent out a survey to see what the sisters need to “enrich” their lives. We then called 6 new specialists to head up an activity group. So far, our activities consist of :

Weekly Meet at the Park Playgroup
Book Club (which was already running, but will now report to the RS)
Walking Group (again, we already had it running)
Sewing Night to teach, or complete projects.
Scrap Booking
Canning / Food Storage
Dinner Club
Craft / Home Decoration

Each Activity Specialist will report to the HFPE Leader (we actually have enough HFPE Committee members that they will each be assigned one specialist and activity group to monitor). All RS Activites will be monitored for content and to be sure that no one is being excluded from the group. It will be up to each individual Activity Specialist and group to determine how often they want to meet. But we are requesting they meet at least once a quarter (if each group did that, we would have an activity going somewhere once every other week).

We are really excited about the new program. The sisters in the ward feel it will provide them with good avenues to get together and accomplish something.

I think that as you prepare your activites, keep a prayer in your heart and remember the objectives you have in mind. Remember, these activities are about individual people not programs!

Good Luck!

[KalenaParticipant]

Jessica – Your RS sounds ambitious! I think that is great. It gives sisters with a specific interest to get together. I am on the enrichment committee and we just met to determine activity dates. We will have more detailed planning as the dates get closer. We already have a group that meets weekly in the fall and winter to quilt.

Kalena

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

The only activity I’ve heard of from our RS so far is a meal co-op. Basically, you are grouped with 3-4 families of about the same size/age as yours. You will make a favorite family recipe that can be frozen and make enough for all of the families on your list plus one for your family. Then you deliver the meals to the families in your group (this could be done on Sundays in spread-out areas), and you get several different meals back.

We hope this will help some of our working sisters have more time to spend with their families. We also think it may be helpful for those families with grown children or no children — it’s so hard to cook a meal for just one or two. It could also help families get healthier meals more often.

One website that talks about this says that you should make sure everyone buys several cheap 9×13 glass dishes to exchange so there’s no worries about getting your dishes back. Lots of things can just be mixed and stored in ziploc bags and thawed overnight.

The meal options are really bigger than you think — casseroles, stir fry, crockpot soups, roasts, enchiladas, crab cakes, meatloaf, pastas — many things you make can be frozen. Add a rolls, green salad, or rice, and you’ve got an awesome, simple meal!

Here are some links about dinner coops if you’re interested in this:

http://dinnercoop.cs.cmu.edu/dinnercoop/ – has menus and ideas for handling costs of food

http://www.coopamerica.org/PDF/CAQ60.pdf – PDF handbook about Co-oping meals

http://www.centerforsustainablecommunit … rning.html – once-a-week dinner co-op; the families in this group only cook and clean up once every 2 or 3 months

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar … May18.html – article talks about a kid-friendly dinner co-op and how they handled unpopular meals :). The moms in this article say thier food bills have actually gone down b/c of the co-op.

http://www.mgfk.com – a kind of professional dinner co-op. Basically they come up with recipes, cut up all the meat and veggies, and clean up. You assemble the meals and freeze them. Very cool.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

I had a questionnaire submitted today:
http://www.jennysmith.net/search-lds-cl … ediaid=589

I’m sure I’ll get others in, too.

-j

[KathyParticipant]

I am from a very small branch in Southwest GA. I am running in circles trying to figure out what I need to do. Any suggestions about what small branches are doing with the new Enrichment Guidelines would be greatly appreciated. Love the ideas already mentioned but would love some info from small areas. Thanks!

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

In the Jackson Mississippi stake, all of the units but one are remaining with the 1 meeting per month program. Apparently that works better for them since their members travel such a distance to meetings.

Any one know of other ideas?

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