HELP (Home Education League of Parents) is a cooperative group of home schooling families that meets regularly at EGC. By working together and each giving of ourselves, we can all reap the many benefits of our combined resources!
About HELP
HELP is a recognized LEAH chapter. LEAH is Loving Education at Home – the recognized New York Christian home school organization. There are over 145 chapters in the state with over 3400 member families. Membership in LEAH adds our support with home schoolers all across New York State to influence the state for our best interests. LEAH also offers many resources such as an annual conference with many speakers and workshops, a monthly newsletter, a video lending library for chapters, an annual fun day at Six Flags Darien Lake (at a greatly reduced price), and a 15% discount off the annual membership fee of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).
HELP is a ministry of Elim Gospel Church (EGC) in Lima, NY. The church supports us with the use of its facilities (classrooms, vehicles, office staff and equipment); and its pastors and elders provide oversight. However, you do not have to attend Elim Gospel Church to be a full participant in the group; people from many different churches and neighboring towns are members.
HELP is led by a volunteer Steering Committee. Our Steering Committee is composed of the coordinators of specific functions and meets regularly throughout the year to coordinate, plan and provide a “cross pollination” of ideas.
Why Should I Join HELP?
When you join HELP, you are joining a LEAH chapter that offers many benefits. Our local chapter offers monthly parent support meetings, field trips, the BOOK IT reading incentive program, special speakers, resource library, Tuesday & Thursday classes for children and teens, monthly newsletters, used book sales, parent training, and more!
Other services we offer:
- We have field trips and special activities. Past field trips have included the Rochester airport, Genesee Country Museum, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Attica & Arcade Railroad, Cumming Nature Center, Open Door Mission, Hall of Justice, George Eastman House, Mendon Ponds, and WHAM-TV 13. We’ve also had summer picnics, winter tubing parties, and events for “dads and kids only.”
- We host speakers and special events. Annually we invite Debra Marr-Gordon, a home school consultant from northern New York with many years’ experience. She gives workshops as well as individual home-based consultations.
- We have a liaison especially for new home schooling families.
- We produce a monthly newsletter. It will keep you up to date with all our activities, as well as other items of interest to home schoolers. It includes news, timely articles, calendars, field trip and event information, area activities, and more. Students can also submit poems and article.
- Our group maintains a free resource library for use by all our members. It contains educational videos, encyclopedias, textbooks and readers, curriculum catalogs, books about home schooling, and science kits. The library is open during Thursday classes, HELP meetings and other times by appointment.
- Organized supplementary classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays for preschool – 12th grade. Classes include science, history, art, music and gym. Additionally, we often offer electives which are not included in the normal HELP monthly fees.
- HIS (Home Instructed Students) Sports offers LEAH members the opportunity to participate in sports programs for all ages.
What Will It Cost Me?
Luke 14:28 teaches us that we should count the cost before getting involved in anything. Being a member of our group does involve a level of commitment.
- Time - This is a cooperative group! We must all be involved. Each year we ask each family to volunteer at least 12 hours each semester (semesters are September – December, and January – April). This is in addition to the normal HELP fees and ensures we can keep our costs to a minimum.
- Finances - There is a yearly membership fee that is due with the HELP membership application. Tuition fees for supplemental classes and field trip fees are in addition to this membership fee. Costs of specific classes and events are available upon request. Contact the church to receive an information packet and to talk to a representative who will answer your questions.
The Primary Mission of Home Education League of Parents...
Through the cooperative efforts of each member family, is to promote, encourage, and support home education among its member families. As a Christ-centered organization, we embrace, practice, and teach the Biblical principles of education and family structure. We support an educational philosophy that is founded on Christ-centered, Biblical spiritual training, whose end is a Christian world view, Christ-like character, and the pursuit of God's will throughout life.
Our Purposes
- To provide a forum where parents can form and build relationships through which they can give and receive encouragement, counsel, and prayer support.
- To provide a forum where educational information and ideas can be exchanged and discussed.
- To provide wholesome educational and recreational activities whereby families can build mutually encouraging relationships with other home schooling families.
- To provide opportunities and educational materials available to groups that are not readily available or practical for individual home schooling families.
- To provide a forum for home schooled students to develop and display their talents and skills and be recognized for their accomplishments.
- To provide opportunities for parents to grow in their expertise of home schooling.
- To enable parents to purchase, exchange and borrow educational material.
- To provide a forum to assist parents to meet NYS education requirements and to facilitate member students’ high school completion and college preparation.
- To foster a sense of Christ-like volunteerism amongst members and provide opportunities for community service as individuals, families, and as a group.
- To foster spiritual growth in homeschooling families through encouragement and support by providing Christ-centered curriculum and books in our Resource Room, by teaching Biblical life principles to children and parents as opportunities arise, by providing adult role models as teachers and leaders, by challenging families to adhere to the basic tenets of Christianity as they make decisions and solve problems, by providing mentoring for young homeschooling families, and by praying for the needs of individuals and families.
For more information, contact us at:
HELP c/o Elim Gospel Church
1679 Dalton Rd.
Lima, NY 14485
