John and Kenya May with Wintley Phipps. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

The Feed the Lambs Enrichment Program, a nonprofit that seeks to engage, educate and empower underprivileged, low-income youth in the county through afterschool and summer programs, hosted an elegant Black & White Gala at the First Presbyterian Church that featured an inspirational performance by Wintley Phipps.

The affair also included dinner catered by Wild Thyme Catering, a silent auction, and artwork created by some of the children enrolled in the program.

After welcoming everyone, Mistress of Ceremonies Cynthia Pottier noted that Feed the Lambs nourishes children with more than just sustenance, immersing them in “education, mentorship, love, joy, kindness and gentleness.”

J. Ralph Lundy founded Feed the Lambs in 1990 as a summer camp in Gifford, and John May, its CEO, incorporated it as the Feed the Lambs Enrichment Program. The program, which now offers mentorship and tutoring, workforce development and recreation services, has a partnership with Oslo Middle School for children in that area and, most recently, has expanded into Wabasso through a partnership with the Coastal Community Church.

“The only way you can make it [in this world] is if you fix what’s inside of you first,” said Kenya May, program director, referring to the need for these children to experience positivity in their lives.

In addition to ensuring that their charges receive the educational support they need to succeed in school and life, mentors and tutors work with the children to “love themselves” and to follow the three R’s: respect, responsibility and rules.

Earlier this year, their mentoring program was awarded a $100,000 grant from Impact 100 to expand its programming, and John May announced that a donor has offered a $100,000 matching gift donation.

“We need to match the funds. We were blessed with one acre of land in Oslo to put up a building so that children would have a home away from home,” he said.

After dinner, Phipps, a world-renowned gospel artist who has performed for seven U.S. presidents, entertained guests with a powerful performance of the sort he has become famous for. Phipps shared stories in between songs, closing with a moving version of “Amazing Grace.”

Feed the Lambs provides afterschool tutoring and summer mentoring to children from families who could not otherwise afford those services. During the 2022-2023 school year, 93 percent of their students were at grade level in math and 95 percent were at grade level in English.

For more information, visit FeedTheLambsEP.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis