The Leak Street Summer Food and Fun Program ended with a presentation of songs, poems, mimes, dances, puppetry and a play written by students. The performance was a coordinated effort on the part of the teachers and volunteers to entertain and inform relatives and friends of the impact the summer program made on the students involved.
The Summer Program was sponsored by the Leak Street Alumni, the North Carolina Food Bank and the Rockingham Housing Authority; three non-profit agencies that worked together to provide a summer of food and fun for students in the surrounding areas of the Leak Street Cultural Center in Rockingham.
The Food Bank supplied the meals and Leak Street Alumni and RHA provided the site of operation, swimming, travel and personnel. The implementation of the summer program depends on donations and volunteers. Donations are tax deductible and may be given to the center in the form of a check payable to Leak Street Alumni, Inc.
One hundred and twenty-four children ages 5-15 were enrolled in this year’s program that lasted six weeks. Children were given two nutritional meals per day: breakfast and lunch. They received fruit and milk daily and were encouraged to take extra fruit home each day.
“It was a good thing to see children actually eating apples, enjoying them and then wanting to take apples home,” said volunteer Hazel Robinson, of the program.
Children enrolled in the program were engaged in physical activity daily which included skating, bowling, swimming and field trips. Other weekly activities offered were Girl Scouts, computer skills and workshop sessions on a variety of topics. Thirty-two volunteers assisted with the day implementation of the events.
Bruce Standback did a session on “What Bullying is All About,” and Irene Waddell presented “Reading is Fun” activities to the younger children.
Other volunteers read to students, discussed the benefits of thinking positively and assisted with transportation to and from field trips. The younger students went to the library each week and the major field trip was to the Hamlet Depot. Some students colored pictures to enter the coloring contest sponsored by the Depot.
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