Support Faith Christian School

What is Project Faith?

Project Faith is an extraordinary undertaking with the purpose of serving our community for the past 22 years. For one day, the entire school works at area organizations lending time and energy to accomplish a multitude of tasks. This year nearly 500 students, parents, faculty, and alumni will serve Apple Ridge Farm by painting, cleaning, landscaping, repairing, and organizing. These are projects the organization simply would not be able to complete due to budget and personnel constraints. 

Our Purpose

We desire that our students understand the importance of honoring God by serving others. Project Faith provides students the opportunity to invest in their community by working for the good of others. In addition, students serve their school by asking for financial support.

Project Managers

Heather Matthews will serve as the Project Faith Committee Chair and will lead a team of Project Managers, parent volunteers and alumni who have already been hard at work on Project Faith for months. You will hear soon from your Project Managers with specific details about the work that day.   

This year’s Project Faith Committee includes: 

• Heather Matthews, Chair
• Samantha Clayman
• Erin Myers 
• Chelsea Palmer
• Catherine Amiss
• Julie Sessor
• Rachel Pasley
• Ashley Vaughan
• Jenna Beecher
• Anne Myers
• Greg Beecher and Alumni Brett Jones, Logistics Managers

Project Faith Student Managers

We also introduced 20 juniors and seniors selected to serve as Project Faith Student Managers. This group was created several years ago for Upper School students to serve alongside Project Managers to guide students and parents at the Project Faith site. They will perform skits, decorate halls, and visit classrooms to raise excitement in the days leading up to Project Faith. The Student Managers have chosen a fun "SPY" theme for their efforts this year.

Packet Distribution & Letter Writing

Friday January 27

Project Faith packets will be sent home. Students will watch a recorded Assembly at school to go over the packets and the link will be made available for parents to watch as well. Packets contain materials, instructions, and information to begin the VERY IMPORTANT first step in making Project Faith a success: the letters. For those new to this process, students send letters asking family and friends to sponsor them as they serve on Project Faith. Grades JK - 5th are asked to send out 15 letters each and Grades 6 - 12 are asked to send out 20 letters each. Families with three or more students have a minimum of 40 letters.

Friday, February 24

Letters are due back to school. (You are welcome to send them in earlier.)

Tuesday, February 28

We will pray over the letters. All letters will be mailed from the school that morning.

In preparation:

• Pull together your Christmas card lists and other names and addresses of possible sponsors. (A list of your child's previous sponsors will be included in the packet.)
• Purchase stamps.
• Again this year, we are providing envelopes for you!

2023 Goals

We are again striving for 100% student participation in sending out letters! We have asked that every family send sponsor letters to at least three new people, above the minimum required letters. We will also offer a variety of incentives to students that participate in letter writing.

Project Faith Day/Celebration

Project Faith day is a day of service—a full school day dedicated to completing all tasks, as well as everything packed and cleaned up at the site before we leave. We will take breaks for snacks and everyone brings a packed lunch. We will break for a mid-morning snack, for lunch, and then once all the work is completed we will all celebrate together at Apple Ridge Farm.

Corporate Sponsorships

Project Faith Corporate Sponsors are vital to the success of Project Faith. Last year local businesses contributed over $40K. If you would like to know how to become a sponsor, or know someone who would, please contact Jay Whitmore at 540-769-5200 extension 138.

How can you, your friends, family, and business associates support Project Faith?

Your support is critical in helping Faith Christian School succeed. In early February, students mail out letters asking to be sponsored for Project Faith. Typically, over 4,000 letters are sent out every spring and donations come in from all over the world. Each student is requested to send out a minimum number of letters and many students and families go above and beyond. 

Where has Project Faith served previously?

2002-03 – Fishburn Park

2003-04– Roanoke Valley Greenways Commission and the National Park Service: portions of the 6 miles hiking trail around the Roanoke Mountain Campground

2004-05 – Roanoke Valley Greenways Commission and the National Park Service: hiking trail around the Roanoke Mountain Campground

2005-06 - US Park Service and the Roanoke Valley Greenways Commission: Mill Mountain  

2006-07 – Mill Mountain and Fern Park  

2007-08 – Rescue Mission: Thrift Store, Women’s Shelter

2008-09 – Rescue Mission’s Jubilee Acres 

2009-10 – Salvation Army downtown Roanoke: Men’s and Women’s Shelters, Community Center 

2010-11– Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden;  Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway; Roanoke Mountain Campground; YWCA; Blue Ridge Women’s Center

2011-12 – Mill Mountain Discovery Center; Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden; Roanoke Mountain; Chestnut Ridge Horse Trail;  Roanoke River Trail

2012-13 – Manna Ministries; Society of St. Andrew – Gleaning America’s Fields; Charity Cottage; Rescue Mission;  Feeding America

2013-14 – Historic downtown Jefferson Center

2014-15 – Red Cross; Acts 2; Straight Street; Jefferson Center

2015-16 – Grandin Village - Grandin Theatre; Local Roots; Viva la Cupcake; The Church of Grandin Village; The Heights Community Church; Imagination Station; 7-11;  Tarpley Park

2016-17 – Camp Alta Mons 

2017-18 – Roanoke County Explore Park

2018-19 – Healing Strides of Virginia

2019-20 – HopeTree Family Services, Salem VA

2020-21 – 20^th Anniversary of PF -  Mill Mountain Zoo; HopeTree Family Services 

2021-22– Saint Francis Service Dogs