Salvation Army Community Center expands programs
Many new programs are coming to the Salvation Army Community Center for Port Huron residents to enjoy.
In previous years, the Salvation Army Community Center only offered day camps in the summer and open-court basketball in the winter. Most of the building was unused. This fall, Community Center Director Angela Drum will be introducing new programs such as gaming clubs, cooking classes and music programs.
“Let’s get some life in here, enrich the community and make use of the space we have,” Drum said.
Drum said she expects the programs to be well received. She tried to think of programs that would be beneficial to multiple demographics. This includes a toddler focused music class where parents can bond with their children, but also talk with other parents.
“When my kids were little, there wasn’t anything like that around here, so I thought it would be fun to start a program like that for kids and their parents,” Drum said.
The programs are either free or have a small admission fee. Drum said she wanted to keep the cost down so that everyone in the community can enjoy the programming and not have to worry about money.
“We wanted to open up programming for the community, especially for those who can’t afford something like a class at the YMCA,” she said.
These programs are in addition to the day camps in the summer and open-court basketball in the winter.
The gaming club had its first session on Sept. 15. Summer Cote, 18, is a member of it. She grew up as a member of the Salvation Army church and has participated in its day camp program as a counselor. As an avid gamer, she said she really enjoys the gaming club.
She said she looks forward to seeing more people join the new programs this fall.
“This is probably one the best programs we’ve had so far,” Cote said. “It would be cool if we can have more kids come out and do them.”
Cote said she looks forward to meeting new people and teaching those who don’t know how to play videogames about the hobby.
The schedule of programs and events:
Retirees Club: 1 to 3 p.m., Mondays in the community center lounge. Admission is free. The club is aimed at retirees and will provide a space to do crafts, discuss books, play games and relax. Coffee and tea will be provided.
Generational Cooking Club: 6 to 8 p.m., every third Thursday each month in the community center kitchen. Admission is $20 per pair. Pairs of one adult and one child will prepare and enjoy a meal together.
Gamer Club: 2:45 to 5 p.m., Thursdays in Room A. Admission is $5 per week. The club is aimed at children ages 13-18 and provides a space to play videogames with friends. Snacks are provided as well.
Kids Night Out: 6 to 10 p.m., every third Saturday each month in the community center. Admission is $20 per single child, $10 for siblings. Children up to the age of 13 can be dropped off at the center for the evening. This allows parents to have a night without their children.
Tiny Tots Music Classes: Class 1 meets 9 to 9:45 a.m. and Class 2 meets 10 to 10:45 a.m. every Thursday in the community center nursery. Admission is $10. Parents and their toddlers can bond over and learn about music.
HoliDay Camps: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. when school is not in session. Admission is $25. On days the district does not have school in session, children can go to the community center. This program also helps parents who otherwise do not have childcare in place during school hours.
Club 316: 4:30 to 6 p.m., Mondays in the music room. Admission is free. This is the Salvation Army’s scouting program, which is focused on growing and learning important life skills.
Fall Fest: 1 to 8 p.m., Oct. 29 at the Salvation Army Community Center. Activities for Fall Fest include a Halloween themed day camp, trick or treating and a bonfire.
Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Salvation Army Community Center expands programming
