ST PARIS – Located near St. Paris, Operation Rebirth, a Christian boarding school for boys, has an opportunity to receive up to $5,000 in matching funds from the Community Foundation of Shelby County on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28. The Community Foundation is celebrating its 65th anniversary that day by giving away $65,000 during an event known as Match Day.
Operation Rebirth assists boys up to 18 years of age who are having problems adjusting to school, home and community life. The staff and volunteers provide academics, real life experiences and work to strengthen and restore family relationships through the application of “God’s Word.”
“Our motto is ‘It’s better to build boys, than to mend men,’” said Dr. Sam Ronicker, who, along with his wife Teresa, is an executive director of Operation Rebirth. “Our program helps boys develop personal and vocational skills and gets their family involved in counseling to work through issues that may be disrupting the relationship.”
The boarding school offers a 24-hour, year-round Christian educational environment, consisting of a Christian curriculum administered by a full-time teacher; a program of farm and animal management; supervised dorm life built around a home environment in which Christian principles are taught through Bible study, responsibility and relationships. The school is recognized by the state of Ohio, but accepts no public funding.
The Community Foundation of Shelby County is offering each of 13 participating charities an opportunity to receive a dollar-for-dollar match up to $5,000. Operation Rebirth hopes to use the gift to build a shelter house on-site to eliminate a $1,200 a year expense to rent tents for an annual Day on the Farm and other community events. Every dollar given to the Community Foundation on or before Nov. 28 and earmarked for Operation Rebirth will be matched up to $5,000 and given to the school. Gifts in excess of $5,000 or those that arrive after Nov. 28 will be given to Operation Rebirth, but will not be matched.
“Gifts from individuals, businesses and churches and income from limited tuition keeps us afloat,” added Teresa Ronicker. “Adding a shelter house will lessen expenses on those special days and give us some covered outdoor space that our boys can use on a regular basis. It will give us more options for our boys.”
To support the Operation Rebirth on Match Day, gifts must be made payable to the Community Foundation of Shelby County with “Match/OR” noted on the memo or in an accompanying note or form. Details and forms are available at the Community Foundation website at www.commfoun.com and at Operation Rebirth. Gifts must be received on or before Nov. 28 to be eligible for up to $5,000 in matching money.
