Open House Set for Project HOPE at Lincoln School

Partners for HOPE Center held a Coalition meeting Monday, September 10, at Lincoln School to develop plans for an open house at the school on Thursday, October 18.  Lori Hammer, Project HOPE, executive director, said the open house, which combines a chili dinner and silent auction, will be run from 5:30pm to 7:30pm and will be held while some Teen Center activities are underway at Lincoln School.  Coalition members felt this would provide an opportunity for the general public and parents to see the Center in full operation at the new Lincoln School site. 

Byron Hall was selected by Coalition members to fill in as president for Anthony LaTour on Monday.  LaTour offered his regrets, stating that his plate has become very full this early school year and wanted to be able to give each of his activities his full attention.  “I just don’t feel that I can do justice to any project beyond what I’m carrying now,” he explained.  Hall said the open house/chili dinner volunteers will seek out donations from area grocery stores for the meal supplies, and because of health code regulations, will try to have the dinner cooked at a licensed restaurant or caterer and served at Lincoln School.   

Members discussed future fund-raising projects with ideas ranging between a springtime Frisbee Golf Tournament and a farmer’s market, working in conjunction with the local LiveWell project.  Trevor LaCost, vice-president of the Coalition, said some local funding will be needed, explaining, “Even with the new 501C3 status, it will probably take a year or perhaps even two before we can start to see grants coming our way.”   

Emily Neischburg of LiveWell in Prowers County outlined an idea for a Kitchen Community project for next year.  She explained that if the Coalition could assemble a LiveWell Team, and the group was on board for the project, they could apply to create a Learning Garden using space in the school’s playground.  It would be a lengthy, seasonal project, she explained, but students could grow and harvest their own food from the garden and perhaps even create a farmer’s market which would generate funding for the Project HOPE activities.  Some requirements are mandatory before the project can be approved and Neischburg said she would provide more information to the Coalition on how they could partner with current the 4H curriculum at the local schools.    

Hammer said classes at Project HOPE at Lincoln School will begin the week of September 24 with Monday featuring guitar lessons, digital art classes and books and a movie as well as nutrition; Tuesday classes will continue with percussion; cooking on Wednesday, a follow-up on nutrition lessons; beginning yo-yo on Thursday and blanket making on Friday in the morning as well as candy-striper information, origami and arts and crafts.  Following a mid-day snack, the Friday afternoon session will be more physical, featuring skateboarding, soccer and basketball.

By Russ Baldwin