What does the Alliance Recreation Center have to do with poverty in our area? The ARC is a mission-driven organization that is serious about meeting the needs of the community. They are a family friendly facility, providing a safe haven where people can meet friends and build healthy habits. The ARC takes an active approach to addressing poverty through programming and facility membership.
According to America After 3PM Special Report: The Growing Importance of AfterSchool in Rural Communities, “The positives of living in a rural community are many. However, rural communities also face a host of challenges.” Poverty rates are much higher in rural communities. The median income is approximately $10,000 less per year than that of an urban dweller. Families are less likely to eat healthy foods, and instead pick up meals that are cheaper and less nutritious. Children are exposed to fewer opportunities to explore new things, to learn and grow.
Mara Andersen, ARC Executive Director, is especially proud of the programming the ARC offers for children. Andersen said that when she first started working at the ARC, she noticed that there was a group of kids who came after school every day and stayed until the rec center closed at 9:00. They had nowhere else to go and no food to eat. She reached out to learn how she could structure activities so negative behaviors wouldn’t become a problem and realized there were huge needs in this community that weren’t being met.
Programming focused on children makes a tremendous impact in how they see themselves. They interact with different ages and with kids from different backgrounds. Poverty is a mindset, so having children from different socioeconomic groups work and play together affects how they view each other and how likely they will continue friendships outside of places like the ARC. Working with adults from a wide variety of organizations introduces them to careers they may not have known existed. The kids see themselves as a part of a larger community with more opportunities, an essential part of breaking the cycle of poverty.
Now the ARC offers three programs for children from Kindergarten through fifth grade: Summer Camp, AfterSchool, and School Day Out. These programs support kids educationally and nutritionally, and meet their needs for physical activity. Specialists come in from area agencies with STEM activities and arts and crafts, and provide mentorship and career-building opportunities as well as grant funded scholarships for any children who cannot cover the costs.
Summer Camp provides opportunities for kids to interact and make new friends, learn about new things, go on field trips, participate in games, and eat nutritious meals. One of the activities they enjoy the most is the partnership with Keep Alliance Beautiful to plant, maintain, and harvest a summer garden.
The ARC AfterSchool program became part of the ARC’s mission two years ago, ending a 7-year gap in afterschool programming for area schools. The Alliance Public School’s bus picks up kids from Emerson and Grandview and brings them to the ARC every day. With assistance from RSVP volunteers, they do homework, then eat a snack, and have time to play games, create arts and crafts, and engage in STEM activities.
School Day Out happens during scheduled breaks in the school year to assist parents who still have to go to work. Kids can be dropped off after 7:45 and stay until 5:30, with parents knowing they will be well supervised, have planned activities, and meals and snacks will be served.
Having a safe place for children at a low cost allows parents to be employed and not worry about taking time off to handle school pick-up and drop-off or use vacation to stay home when school isn’t in session. ARC also meets the needs of kids who are too old for day care but not old enough to be home alone.
Whether people are seeking membership to the facility or participation in a program, the ARC never turns anyone away based on ability to pay. Andersen writes grants to help cover costs, but a large portion of sponsorships are covered through the membership fees of other ARC members. Almost 40% of AfterSchool participants and 126 individuals receive this assistance.
Over the next few months, the Task Force on Poverty will be presenting more information about agencies in Box Butte County which deal with problems faced by those who live in poverty. Bridges Out of Poverty will be holding a day-long conference on June 11, 2020, at the Alliance High School Commons. This organization has a global reputation for helping understand the lives of those who live in poverty. Watch for more information as we develop strategies to deal with this all-too-common problem facing so many in our area.