Greetings!
Back-to-school season is a special time of the year at
Homes for the Homeless (HFH) Family Residences,
with plenty of
Back-to-School Donations
and engaging new afterschool programming. At our
Early Childhood Education Centers,
kids 'kicked off' the school year with a series of toddler-friendly soccer lessons. At
Prospect Afterschool,
parents and kids had the chance to learn about astronomy together through an innovative
PBS KIDS for Parents
program. Meanwhile, our partners at
KidCare
helped students celebrate the new school year with their annual
B-Ball & Burgers Tournament
and the
2019 Job Hop,
which gave older kids in
HFH
programming the chance to learn more about their dream careers.
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Our partners at
PBS Science Education Program with Parents
visited
Prospect Afterschool
for a series of workshops intended to get families excited about astronomy through interactive lessons. In one session, parents and kids watched a video about Mars, played an earth-centered tablet game, and engineered their own Mars rovers.
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Williamsbridge Continues Monthly Themes with Hurricane Lessons
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Every month, kids at
Williamsbridge Recreation
explore a new theme through engaging lessons, activities, and projects. In August, they celebrated a month spent learning about hurricane season with a movie night.
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Apple Picking at Dr. Davies Farm
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Kids from
HFH Family Residences
spent a day away from the city during an
Apple Picking Field Trip
at
Dr. Davies Farm
,
in
Congers, NY,
where they had the chance to pick their own apples, enjoy some apple-flavored treats, and take a hay ride.
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Kids enrolled in
Saratoga Early Childhood Education Center
have been learning to play soccer with coaches from
Super Soccer Stars.
The lessons take a fun, non-competitive approach to introducing children to the sport, encouraging them to develop their self-confidence and athletic skills through age-appropriate activities.
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Spotlight On: Shawn Thorns
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Our
Spotlight On:
series highlights our staff members. August's spotlight featured Shawn Thorns, Director of Camp Wakonda, who first began working with HFH Summer Camps as a General Counselor in 2005.
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Every year, our partners at
KidCare
kick off the school year with a
Job Hop,
where young people enrolled in HFH programming have the chance to chat about their dream careers with volunteers representing a wide range of fields, from teachers to electricians.
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B-Ball & Burgers Tournament
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KidCare,
with the support of our sponsors at
Schweid & Sons,
was also responsible for organizing our 7th annual
B-Ball & Burgers Tournament,
which brought together kids from all of our sites for a day filled with basketball, barbecue, and plenty of friendly competition.
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Thanks to the efforts of generous partners like
Volunteers of America
, S.C.A.L.E.,
and
Bolloré
,
kids at
Saratoga
had the chance to participate in a
Back-to-School Giveaway.
From pre-K students to teens, school-aged residents of all ages were able to pick from a colorful array of backpacks, all stuffed with back-to-school supplies.
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Donation Spotlight: My Fine Mind
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My Fine Mind,
a unique kid-powered non-profit, donated a diverse assortment of school supplies like microscopes, books, math materials, and more to benefit kids enrolled in our K-12 programming.
My Fine Mind
aims to promote educational equality through school supplies donations.
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In the News: Saratoga's Back-to-School Giveaway
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Saratoga's Back-to-School Giveaway was also featured in an article in the
Queens Chronicle
. The article highlighted the positive impact of our partners on the students we serve.
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As always, our work wouldn't be possible without the staff, partners, volunteers, and supporters who ensure that Homes for the Homeless can continue to provide support for over 700 children and their families each year.
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