For more than 15 years, Hope Street has benefitted from the support of its community partners to provide healthy recreational acitivities for children and families.  Immanuel Presbyterian Church and Enrichment Works are two of the seven community partners who received a CHW Community Grant distributed through CHMC's Community Benefits Department.  For these partner agencies, this grant allows partner agencies to provide yoga instruction and circus arts workshops for after-school students and adults enrolled in Hope Street Family Center programs.

     Yoga classes are taught for children and adults after-school from 3-6pm on Wednesdays. Classes are taught by Mariana Murr, a bilingual certified yoga instructor contracted by Immanuel Presbyterian.  Mariana has creative and unique techinques that engage new and experienced students.  Circus Arts workshops are offered twice a week on Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:30-6pm for the Hope St. Youth Center students.  Amy O'Neil has been teaching circus arts at Hope Street for more than 4 years and has recently assumed responsibiltiy for coordinating the program.  We want to recognize and thank the former Director Donna Babcock for her hard work and commitment to the program for nearly 15 years!  In addition, thank you to Catholic Healthcare West for providing support to community partners who provide recreation and preventive health services to the CHMC children and families.  For more information, view the CHW Community Grants Program.  

 Nearly 50 children and family members celebrated together on December 22, 2010 to honor the time 15 fathers spent participating in the Hope Street Fatherhood Program. Certificates were awarded; tears were shed; and children shrieked with excitement. The evening presented opportunities to share about hurdles families have over come as well as provide opportunities for growth and changes to occur in the new year. The Fatherhood Program has been in operation for nearly 5 years at HSFC. We look to DHHS for an opportunity to apply for a sixth year of funding.  For more information about the Fatherhood Program, contact Program Coordinator Juan Ledezma at (213) 765-4026.