This week, local kids participating in the Good Works Summer Kids Club program can be found taking trips to the Hocking Woods Nature Center at Hocking College and playing crab soccer with their friends.
The Summer Kids Club, which is a free program for first through sixth graders, offers entertaining and educational activities for eight weeks during the summer, said Catherine Liggett, director of caregiving at Good Works.
The program partners Good Works with The Plains United Methodist Church to provide fun activities, such as field trips to COSI in Columbus in the mornings, as well as Bible lessons and health education lessons in the afternoons, Liggett said.
It has been a really good summer
she said. The kids are having a great time. One of our goals for the summer is that each child would leave here feeling loved and valued.
Good Works chose two interns to work with the 15 to 20 kids participating in the Kids Club this summer.
Katie Pierson, a 21-year-old senior at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, said she enjoys spending her summer with the program.
I really wanted to come out with Good Works because I really believe in their ministry she said. Kids Club was the way I was able to give back to Good Works.
Pierson said she has been successful in connecting with the kids.
The more that I show the kids that I care about them ... the more that they come to respect me she said.
Cara Lewis, a recent Ohio University graduate, said she wanted to work with kids this summer instead of in an office.
Lewis said one of the interns' goals has been to teach the kids about sharing and teamwork and it has been rewarding seeing the kids become friends.
In addition to the interns, church and youth group volunteers help teach the children lessons and supervise activities.
Good Works was started in 1981 by Executive Director Keith Wasserman, who was a senior at OU at the time.
The Summer Kids Club is one component of our summer outreach
which is one component of Good Works
he said.
The Kids Club, which started about seven years ago, was designed to connect with the kids emotionally and to build the bridge between spring and fall. This is the second year for off-site programming, which takes place at The Plains Plaza and Tomoko Trailer Park, he said.
The program runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. It ends Aug. 13.
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Casey Clapper
