The Redfern Community Center, which closed abruptly in March with no notice, has finally reopened.
The center, located at 1302 Redfern Ave. in Far Rockaway, opened its doors again on Friday, Aug, 25, with its reinstated director, Lakia Echols.
Echols beamed as the standing-room only crowd of proud parents watched the first programming project, a multi-cultural theatrical event that included children of diverse ages.
The rooms were decorated with posters depicting the cultures that reflected the diversity of the audience.
The skit the children presented ‘The Tale of River Mumma and the Golden Table’ is a classic morality tale from Jamaica that has a message for all of us today.
After the children received their accolades for the skit, Nichols presented the parents with swag bags of presents, a special treat for them to treasure. The event is a forerunner to the on-hands participation in after-school activities that will be expected of the parents.
The families enjoyed dinner in the updated cafeteria and there is a new gym with the equipment needed for a healthy body. There are weight stations, a treadmill and a new 50-in 1-position total body exercise machine.
On Monday, Sept. 11, the after- school enrichment STEM program will begin for grades K to eight. There will also be SAT and Regents tutoring. Healthy foods and eating lessons will focus on acquiring life-long habits for healthy living. Teens will continue to have their basketball and football programs. Bilingual and GED classes are planned to begin soon.
The community, which expressed frustration with the amount of paperwork required to access the services, will welcome the changes to a simpler enrollment process.
The Center is open to the general public, not only Redfern residents. All services are offered free of charge. The hours for children’s services are 2:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. for adults.
Leave a Reply