Everyone who’s had children can remember the exciting days when their kids were young. If you’re like me, those memories might be a little blurry because you were so busy and often sleep-deprived. At the same time, a parent’s role during the early years of a child’s life will have important, life-long consequences for that child. The Great Start Collaborative, which was formed in 2006, works to create communities that value and support families while their children are in the critical birth-through-age-five stage of life.
Among the programs offered by Great Start are Parent Coalitions where families have an opportunity to gather monthly to share their successes and struggles. They learn how to support each other and provide a Great Start for their kids. There are currently four Parent Coalitions meeting in St. Joseph County, including one in Sturgis for Hispanic families. Great Start is also going to start having Community Baby Showers where new parents can learn about the Parent Coalitions and other resources available to them and their children. The first Community Baby Shower is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, and it will be held at Riverside Church in Three Rivers. It will be held from 10 am to 2 pm and families who had a baby in 2012 or 2013 are especially invited to attend. There will be child care provided for the kids so parents can attend learning sessions and gather information. Great Start is in need of some community support for this and future Community Baby Showers. They would like to distribute gift bags to the participants and need donations of diapers and other handouts that would be welcomed by young families. They would also be extremely grateful for sponsors who are willing to contribute help with providing light refreshments for the events. Anyone interested in helping with the Community Baby Showers can call Anita Schlabach at 269-467-5404.
During the month of April, visitors to Three Rivers should be prepared to encounter a few frogs. Three Rivers will be one of over 300 communities in more than 40 countries to observe Save The Frog Day. Frog and other amphibians are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment. In the past 30 years about 200 frog species have become extinct in the wild, leading scientists to believe that this could signal changes that could eventually affect humans. To help increase awareness about this issue, Three Rivers Area Mentoring kids will be painting some giant murals at Skidmore Park. They will be grateful for help with the painting project. Interested artists can call TRAM at 269-278-8726. There will also be a wonderful film about frogs shown free at Rivera Theatre on April 21 and a big family event on April 27 at Scidmore Park. Watch the paper for more information about these events.
Someday soon I know that spring is going to get here and with that comes time for “spring cleaning.” As you’re purging your house of items no longer needed, please remember that your used things might be welcomed by someone else. Goodwill and the Salvation Army Thrift Store are always happy to take your donations that are in good condition.
Other programs in St. Joseph County that are looking for volunteers and would like to be included in this weekly column are encouraged to register with United Way. Contact Margaret Shultz, Volunteer Services Specialist, at 269-467-9099 or at volunteer.sjcuw@gmail.com.