Kids Club is Banyan’s optional K-8 evening program offered January-May. Each of the 8 sessions includes an outreach project, gym time, and a snack. All Banyan youth in Kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to join. This year we had 60 youth extend their Thursday night programming and join us for Kids Club!
Community outreach projects teach youth how to serve and support their neighborhood. This year we made sandwiches for people experiencing food insecurity supporting the Sandwich Project. We created dog toys for pups in the Humane Society. And we made fleece blankets for families living in the Simpson House.
There were also two special invitation events during Kids Club: Bring a Friend to Banyan Night and Family Night. We were thrilled to be able to welcome 10 new friends to Banyan for Bring a Friend to Banyan Night. It was a joy to watch Banyan youth exuberantly share their second home with their close friends.
Kids Club Family Night was a huge success! Twenty-six families, that’s 86 people, attended and worked together to complete service projects:
- 10 bird feeders were built and painted
- 34 storm drains were cleaned and painted
- 9 bag of trash were collected
- 10 plates of cookies were made and decorated to share with neighbors.
This was a great opportunity for families to come together to do something meaningful that would benefit their community.
These Kids Club service projects are an amazing way for youth to learn the importance of becoming citizens and leaders who care for others. They offer a firsthand view on how hard work can make a difference in the lives of those around us. Not only did we have fun, but we also developed a sense of responsibility towards our community that will stand the test of time.