AFTER SCHOOL KIDS PROGRAM

The First Baptist School of Harker Heights hosts an After School Kids (ASK) Program that provide students (K-5) from the Harker Heights Elementary School with a safe place to sojourn after school on their walk home.  Many of the children who participate in this progream are latch key kids who have no one at home when they get out of school in the afternoon.  Participating children receive help with their homework, can have a snack, have an adult available to listen to them, or can just hang out and play or color or watch educational cartoons.  The ASK Program provides these children with a positive environment  and offers them a good choice they can make in participating in after school activities, rather than being influenced by negative community and peer pressures.

BREAD OF LIFE PROGRAM

The First Baptist Church of Harker Heights Bread of Life Ministry is a joint ministry that is funded by the Harker Heights United Methodist Church.  While we share the wonderful story of salvation through Christ and His second coming, we realize He also spoke of feeding the hungry.  From Christ’s viewpoint what is done for those in need is being done for Him.

Yet past the physical hunger, Jesus knew of the spiritual hunger people experienced. The crowds which followed Jesus wanted miracles to help them believe. They knew of the bread from heaven that their forefathers ate while in the wilderness but that bread (manna) must be consumed daily to ward off the hunger.  At the Bread of Life, we offer a warm meal for those who hunger and provide God’s word and fellowship to feed the soul.  

COMMUNITY GARDEN PROGRAM

The Harker Heights Food Center has submitted an application for a 2017 Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by creating a community garden in Harker Heights.

Our Request for Application (RFA) presents the opportunity to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system within our community to foster understanding of how to improve the nutrition and health of participating households by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables.  Our RFA is replicable by other economically disadvantaged communities. It is often disadvantaged communities such as ours that suffer the most from poor health effects brought about by the under consumption of fruits and vegetables.

SAFE PLACE PROGRAM

The First Baptist Church of Harker Heights has been designated as a Safe Place for children by the Central Texas Youth Services Program.  Once a child in need arrives at the church, someone from within the organization comes to meet with the young person and assist him or her with a course of action that is in the child's best interest.  This could mean reuniting the child with the family or even bringing the child to the Central Texas Youth Services Option House children's shelter if there are safety concerns.