Covenant Presbyterian Church Begins LaAmistad After-School Tutoring

Covenant Presbyterian Church has opened its doors to Latino students from E. Rivers Elementary School for after-school tutoring sessions twice a week. The tutoring is being conducted through the LaAmistad program, which operates successful tutoring programs in several Atlanta churches. A site coordinator at E. Rivers selects the students, and volunteers from LaAmistad and Covenant Presbyterian Church conduct the tutoring.

“We are delighted to welcome LaAmistad to our church,” said by Dr. Ernie Hess, senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church. “This award-winning tutoring program was founded in Atlanta in 2001. The name means ‘The Friendship’, and it is with a spirit of friendship that volunteer tutors help first-generation Latino children succeed in school and in life. We are excited to partner with our neighbors at E. Rivers School on this important endeavor.”

Since its inception, LaAmistad’s After School program has grown into an effort that includes reading and math enrichment, preschool education, one-on-one tutoring, summer camps, mentoring, and sports programs for students in grades 1-12. In addition to the tutoring, families are encouraged to make use of a comprehensive family resource center, which offers information on employment, health, counseling, legal and financial services and scholarships. www.laamistadinc.org

About Covenant Presbyterian Church
For nearly a century, Covenant Presbyterian Church has served the city of Atlanta through its mission of “Equipping the people of God to serve Christ in the world”. The church is a member of Presbyterian Church (USA) and is led by Dr. Ernie Hess, senior pastor, and Dr. Jill Ulrici, associate pastor. Covenant Presbyterian Church opened its doors in downtown Atlanta in 1904 as Harris Presbyterian Church. Twenty years later, the church community moved to its present location at 2461 Peachtree Road in Buckhead, where it holds Sunday morning and evening worship services.

Today, Covenant is home to a welcoming congregation that seeks, serves and celebrates together. The church boasts a lively youth group, hands-on mission work, a women’s spirituality ministry and a strong music program, as well as offering public lectures, social events, educational opportunities and more. Currently, the church supports numerous organizations including Buckhead Christian Ministry, the Central Night Shelter, ChildSpring International, Habitat for Humanity, The Open Door Community, Earth Covenant Ministry and Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta. Covenant also takes a leadership role in the LaGonave Haiti Partners, a more than 20-year partnership with the Episcopal Church of Haiti. Ongoing Haiti projects include a community health center, as well as programs for education, agriculture, adult literacy and children’s nutrition. www.covenantpresbyterian.us