Church outreach draws youths to park
Every Friday throughout the summer, neighborhood children descend upon Father Marinaro Park, arriving on bicycles, on foot and in cars with parents.
"Where is everybody?" asked 6-year-old Davian Velesquez last week, showing up minutes before a small crowd assembled at the picnic pavilion.
Davian and his friend Matt Auguirre walked slightly ahead of 50-year-old Kelly Schlobohm, who was pushing Davian's sister in a stroller.
Schlobohm and the children were among 20-some people attending Park Days, a ministry of First United Methodist Church.
"It's a good program," said Schlobohm, who runs an in-home day care within walking distance of the park. "It gets them with the other kids, and they get to play."
The program was started last year by Kevin Mattison, director of youth ministries at the church on East North Street.
Although creating a social environment in the park is among Mattison's primary goals, others include offering a free lunch and bags of take-home food to families who want or need them.
On-site lunches might feature peanut-butter sandwiches or hot dogs cooked on the grill. Take-home bags might include boxed macaroni and cheese, bread, peanut butter, applesauce and crackers.
"We try to do stuff that if parents weren't home, kids can do themselves," Mattison said.
"We know if they didn't need food, they probably wouldn't take it, because we're not giving them sweet food," he added.
Mattison said another goal of Park Days is to offer service opportunities to church teens, who staff the weekly program. For many of those, the service is more fun than it is work.
"It's fun to come down here with the kids," said 18-year-old Dan Santoro, who was tossing a football Friday to Davian and Matt.
"I really like coming out and helping the kids because I really like kids," agreed Bri Lumley, also 18.
Mattison said Park Days evolved from programs already in place at First United Methodist: one in which church volunteers aid teachers at Center Avenue Elementary School, near the park; and another in which the church provides backpacks, school clothes and supplies through teachers or Children and Youth Services.Mattison said last year's rainy Fridays resulted in low attendance at Park Days, but this year has seen an increase.The volunteers went door-to-door early in the season, and attendance that began with five or six children has grown to 20 or 30 people.Mattison said Park Days also provides the sack lunches to youths using the park's skateboarding area."Our main goal is just to be sure the kids get a meal," Mattison said.Park Days, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will conclude Friday.
