Common Ground Ministries

Common Ground Ministries (CGM) is a mentoring and tutoring organization that was established in 1991 to assist the K-5, at-risk children in east Waxahachie.  Most of these children are from low-income, one-parent homes. We provide essential after-school care so that parents and sometimes grandparents who are caregivers are able to work. 

We provide after-school transportation to our facility where our students receive a healthy meal.  We also provide snack sacks for each student each day.  We believe the additional food security affects our students in powerful ways.  We see less stress, better discipline, and a better ability to focus.  In addition to emotional well-being, we find that with increased nutrition everyone has more energy, more fun.

After our meal, students work on their homework and receive tutoring help if needed.  We are blessed to have volunteer students from our local university visit our campus and interact with our students.  After homework, everyone heads outside for supervised play.  Students can join in organized sports, free play, arts & crafts, group building, gardening and life skills. In addition to school work, lessons in character development and Christian values are taught and demonstrated.

CGM has a four-week summer program. Activities include: visiting parks and museums, movies, swimming, crafts, and visits to local eateries. Other programs include: Christmas with Dignity, Shoe Buddy, cooking lessons, Career Day, gardening, etc. 

We provide college scholarships through the Danny Hill Scholarship program.  Students who have been a part of CGM can apply for funding to attend the college or technical school of their choice. 

CGM provides neighborhood children with a safe, supervised place to go after school. The majority of CGM kids receive their high school diplomas.

Our Needs

Our most essential needs are listed in detail below.  In summary, we need funding to pay our staff salaries, money to purchase food for the meals and snack sacks we provide daily to our 30 students; paint and painting supplies to refresh our aging building, and a Promethean Board (or something similar) for students to use for their homework.  

In addition, every year we need funding for iPads and tablets to help our students keep up with the rapidly changing technology.  Each of our new 5th grade students are given an iPad that he/she will use during the year and then keep when they graduate from 5th grade and our Common Ministries program.  Providing up-to-date technology helps our students compete with their peers.  In our "big dream" vision we would like to start a building fund so we can increase the number of students and families we serve.  We always have a waiting list!

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