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Friends "leap frog" to help children
 Children in residence at the Friendship Center's emergency shelter and Arch Street Housing are having a "whee" of a time at summer camp. The children's camperships are being provided through the generosity of the Friends of the Friendship Service Center, our auxiliary.
Seven children, ages 4 to 9, from four shelter families, attend Small World Camp and Camp TotalRec, through the New Britain Parks and Recreation Department. Three children, ages 7 to 9, who live at Arch Street Housing also attend Camp TotalRec.
According to Donna Bergin, programs director, "At the end of the day, when I ask the kids if they had fun, they enthusiastically say, 'Yes!' Their days are busy with so many fun-filled activities, they return happy, hungry and ready for a good night's sleep. The alternative for our children would be an uneventful summer." Shannon Bailey, supportive housing case manager, says that the children from Arch Street Housing especially love the pool.
Bergin explains that summer camp means that moms have a little time to themselves, whether it be for trying to find daycare, a job or attending job readiness training. For the most part, the moms do not have a network of support, and this may be the only time apart from their children. Bailey adds, "This gift from the Friends lifts stress from the shoulders of parents who are on limited incomes but still want their children to have a positive summer camp experience."
A thousand thanks to members of the Friends of the Friendship Center for leaping at the opportunity to make the lives of these children and families happier and more hopeful.
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