The Homeless Children's Playtime Project  
June 15, 2011


In this Issue
Saving Play, One City at a Time
Turtle Playtime!
HCPP is Bringing Home the Awards!
Reading at Playtime (See a Fish-Filled Example)
Volunteer Training Next Week
Send a Kid to the Zoo; Create a Baby Oasis; Throw a Party
HCPP in the News... 
We're "Shrinking the Play Deficit in DC"! Park Road volunteer Tracey Ross wrote an article about the impact of HCPP's work in Next American City. Check it out here! 

Turtle Power! 

Turtle Night Playtime at DC General

 

Children at DC General last Tuesday received a very special visit from "Senator". The pet turtle of volunteers Megan and Chris (can you tell they work on the Hill?) inspired an entire evening of turtle-themed activities! Kids created their own turtle shells to wear for the evening, and got to visit with the scaly Senator himself! 

turtle shells for kids!

 

This unique night of "pet therapy" inspired curiosity, laughs and a new favorite animal!  The children's behavior was excellent and they asked lots of questions about Senator and his life. 

  

petting turtle

HCPP Brings Home the Awards!

 

One of the area's best! HCPP is proud to have been selected to be included in the Catalogue for Philanthropy. We were selected by reviewers, from a field of 270 applicants, as "one of the best small charities in the DC Region."

And if that's not enough for you, today our Executive Director, Jamila Larson accepted the 2011 Community Impact Award from Greater DC Cares! Thank you to Megan Thompson for nominating HCPP - we were selected from a pool of 50 nominations. Greater DC Cares

These awards are truly a recognition of your hard work and contributions that make Playtime's impact possible. 

Because of you, HCPP reached

700 children last year! 

Summer Reading Extravaganza! 

Keeping Brains Sharp and Lovin' Books

 

 

As summer begins for DC students, kids who are not enrolled in summer school face the risk of losing an average of three to six months of knowledge over the summer. Further, a recent study found that students who don't read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school than their peers who read proficiently. This risk is increased by the impact of poverty. 

art at turning point
 Playtime is a critical resource in  preventing brain-drain for  children when school is not in  session, and the 

 volunteers at Turning Point have  been coming up with innovative  ideas to keep kids           

reading baby roomexcited about reading. This week, volunteer Dyani coordinated an evening that kicked off with a fun fishing game to get the kids geared up for their snack-time story, Not Norman: A Goldfish Story, about a boy who learns to love his new pet goldfish. The children were absolutely rapt during the reading, as they munched on - what else? - goldfish crackers! The story was such a hit that the kids spent the rest of the evening reading in small groups.


All of our Playrooms are being restocked with new books, so keep coming up with creative concepts to make reading one of this summer's favorite activities. Let's make sure our kids are at the top of their game when school starts again in the fall! 

Volunteers Needed this Summer!  

 


Help take the sting out of homelessness with playdough, basketballs, chalk and laughter! We are seeking dedicated and creative weekly volunteers to lead play programs in all eight of our programs, Monday - Thursday and Saturday mornings.

dollhouse

HCPP's next volunteer training is 
Wednesday, June 22 from 6:30-9:00 pm 
(next week!)
1525 Newton St, NW

Please RSVP to lana.hcpp@gmail.com 

 Happy summer everyone, 

 

Jamila and Lana

 

Our website has been updated! Visit:

www.playtimeproject.net

More news, updated Site Coordinator bios and media clips can be found here! 

 

HCPP Board of Directors
 
Kirsten Lodal
LIFT 
 
 Patricia Mullahy-Fugere
Washington Legal Clinic
for the Homeless
 
 Robert Edwards
XM Radio: The Bob
Edwards Show
 
David Graling
Gelman Rosenberg
& Freedman

Advisory Board

Regina Kline Co-Founder, HCPP
Attorney

Executive Director


Jamila Larson, LICSW
Co-Founder, HCPP

basketball at DCG
Give the Gift of Play!

Donate Here!  

 




Sponsorship and Group Volunteer Opportunities! 

Send a child to one week of Zoo Camp! 

 boys on zoo sign

The National Zoo has generously offered a scholarship for one Playtime participant to attend camp at the Zoo. No family can take advantage of this deal without assistance paying for the metro each day to drop off and pick up. For $100, you can sponsor the child and parent's metro fair to and from camp each day -- please contact Lana to help!

 

Help Create a Baby Room at Turning Point! 

 

Turning Point babies are getting crowded! HCPP is creating a new baby room on Saturday, June 25th from 1-4pm and we need your sponsorship and help! Email Lana to help: 

 

 1) Contribute baby room furniture, toys and decorations to the new space

 

2) Come out to help us move items and set up the space on Saturday, June 25th from 1-4pm.

 

3) Contribute gift cards so that volunteers can buy items for the room

 

Thank you for helping us create a stimulating, fun and baby-friendly space!

 

Sponsor a Fourth of July Party! 

 

Groups needed to help throw a fourth of July party at each of our five sites! Email Lana for more information

 

We are also still looking for help translating our materials into Spanish. Let us know if you have some extra time this summer! 

Families Deserve Housing · Children Deserve Play

1525 Newton St., NW, Washington, DC 20010 · www.playtimeproject.net ·(202) 329-4481