By Erin Smith
The Healthy Bladen Collaborative met on Tuesday morning at the Bladen County Health Department and heard about a partnership formed between the Healthy Bladen Summer Recreation and Bladen County 4-H.
The Healthy Bladen Summer Kids Recreation program consists of The locations for this year’s program will be East Arcadia School, Bladenboro Middle School, Elizabethtown Middle School, Clarkton School of Discovery, and Tar Heel Middle School. The hours for this year’s program will be 9 a.m. until 12 noon. The camps will be offered over a four week period beginning June 25th and ending the week of July 4th.
This year the Healthy Bladen Kids Recreation Camps will receive SNAP education from the Bladen County 4-H. Bladen County 4-H Coordinator Stacie Kinlaw said they have 4-H volunteers present at each camp site to administer STEAM and SNAP activities to camp participants.
Kinlaw added 4-H will not only be partnering with Healthy Bladen Kids Recreation Camps but will also partner with Bladen County Schools’ Summer Feeding program. She said 4-H volunteers will travel to the Summer Feeding sites from June 26th until the last week of July. Kinlaw said they will offer STEAM and SNAP activities to the children who will be receiving lunches through the Summer Feeding Program.
Kinlaw plans to have 4-H volunteers at Bladenboro Middle School on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., at West Bladen High School on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and at Elizabethtown Middle School from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Kinlaw also said that all 4-H activities planned for later this summer are all free of charge. For more information regarding Bladen County 4-H, call Kinlaw at 910-862-4591.
Bladen County Public Library Director Kelsey Edwards told the group the stage in the children’s area has been removed to allow easier access for programming. She said there are also plans for Summer Reading Program to kick off on Saturday, June 16th, at 11 a.m. with a visit from Scooter Hayes also known as MelVil Dewey the Hip Hop Librarian. This will be held at the main library in Elizabethtown.
Edwards also said there two Family Game Nights planned for the Clarkton Library and Bridger Memorial Library. The Game Night for Clarkton will take place on June 12th from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Pizza and soft drinks will be served. Space is limited and you are asked to call 910-647-3661 to register.
The Game Night for Bridger Memorial Library is planned for June 11th from 5:30 until 7 p.m. Pizza and soft drinks will be served. Space is limited and you are asked to call 910-863-4586 to register.
LaTonya Brown with Bladen County Smart Start told the group about a program they are offering in June called Family Fun Time. It will be offered every Monday and Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. through the month of June.
Brown also said there is still time to register your child for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Participants will have books sent to their home for their child to read. For questions or to sign your child up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library call Bladen County Smart Start at 910-862-3335.
The Healthy Bladen Collaborative will not meet during the months of June and July and will resume meeting on August 28th at 9 a.m. in the Conference Room of the Bladen County Health Department.
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