DVIDS – Information – Vacation Bible School at Yuma Proving Ground Chapel serves up enjoyable and friendship

Religious companies are as a lot a supply of energy and solace to Soldiers as to civilians.

The U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) Chapel serves each all year long however had a very well-liked getaway for youths on publish throughout the lengthy, sizzling summer season: Vacation Bible School (VBS).

With a rainforest theme this yr, a lot of the chapel complicated is spending a strong week adorned as a tropical jungle. The occasion appears to be like like it’s professionally carried out and lavishly funded however is in actual fact assembled on a shoestring funds with the devoted labor of greater than 20 teen and grownup volunteers.

“It would be tough to do anything with much less than what we had for volunteers,” stated Chaplain (Maj.) Byron Denman. “These are people who have come back every day to help with the set-up and are now involved in leading a group or leading an activity station.”

About 40 YPG children divided into three teams from preschool to sixth grade are taking part within the enjoyable, which lasts a whole morning every day beginning July 13. While VBS usually takes place early in the summertime at church buildings within the civilian world, Denman waited till July to permit a chance for brand spanking new kids on publish accompanying a mum or dad on a everlasting change of station transfer to take part, notably as out of doors temperatures keep within the triple digits.

“We hope it pulls them into some sense of community and belonging,” stated Denman. “During the summer months at YPG, kids aren’t going outside in the same way. The hope is that they come here to get connected, then take that back into the neighborhood or when they’re back in school in a few weeks.”

The college students had enjoyable listening to tales, singing songs, and rotating amongst a number of stations on the chapel, throughout the road on the neighborhood middle, and on the publish health middle that noticed them studying concerning the Bible, making arts and crafts, and taking part in video games, with new actions slated for every day of the week. Snack time can also be a well-liked station.

Allison Riggs has been volunteering on the chapel’s VBS packages since arriving right here in 2023.

“VBS is one of my most favorite things that I look forward to every single year, other than Christmas and Easter,” she stated. “Vacation Bible School is where we can really get the community in and give the kids something over this hot summer.”