The Playground Story
The last couple of weeks at Rez you may have heard about a playground being built soon in Southeast DC. What you may not realize is what a rare and beautiful opportunity this project provides to our church. To hear the interesting backstory about this project, keep reading…
The Context
The Hopkins Apartments, a public housing project at 12th and K St. SE, is a pocket of poverty in Rez’s backyard. In order to live there, families must be low-income, and the demographic is predominantly African American. These differences, along with the insularity created by public housing, tend to create a barrier between Hopkins residents and the gentrifying neighborhood around them that hosts a new Harris Teeter. Because of the socioeconomic, racial, and housing barriers, it is understandable that most folks at our church do not know and have never met Hopkins residents, even though they are right there in the midst of our Capitol Hill community. Is there a way to reach past these barriers?
Opportunity Knocks
Several months ago, the playground at Hopkins was deemed no longer usable and demolished. As a result, kids at Hopkins no longer have a safe place to play near where they live. This was a sad turn of events, but from it has emerged an opportunity.
A group of concerned neighbors and community developers heard of the situation and began praying about how they might help. They met with Hopkins residents and the local Boys and Girls Club to begin planning a volunteer-driven playground build that would use the labor and resources of both Hopkins residents and members of the surrounding community and its churches. The project began to take shape, and plans have been drawn, but there is a lot of work to be done in order to put it all together.
What does this mean for Rez? This project creates a tremendous opportunity for those of us in the surrounding Capitol Hill neighborhood to work together with Hopkins residents on a shared project, and thus, a chance to reach past some of those barriers mentioned earlier. A rare window of opportunity is open!
However, the playground project is in great need of support from people like yourself. Lots of money needs to be raised to pay for the project, and lots of volunteers are needed. Below is a list of ways you can help, some big, some very small. Will you consider pitching in?
The Strategy
The Playground project has two major fundraisers planned. First is a carwash and cookout (April 4), second is a yard sale (April 18). The third project, obviously, is the playground build day itself, scheduled for May 30. Each event includes numerous opportunities for you to serve.
Car Wash & Cookout Fundraiser
When: Sat. April 4, 10 AM – 5 PM
Where: Corner of 11th and K SE.
How you can help:
– 10-20 volunteers needed to wash cars for 1.5 hour shifts between (10 AM and 3 PM)
– Bring your car to be washed on Saturday. Tell friends to do the same.
– Volunteer to serve food or cook food for a 1.5 hour shift at the cookout (Noon – 5 PM)
– Come buy a plate of food for dinner!
Yard Sale & Bake Sale
When: Sat. April 18; 9 AM – 2 PM
Where: Salvation Army parking lot, 12th and G St. SE
How you can help:
– Look through your stuff, find something to donate.
-Drop off stuff April 15th after work.
-Volunteer to receive items at the Salvation Army, parking lot, 12th and G SE, on April 15th
-We need a team, including someone with a truck to pick up large items and deliver to the Salvation Army
– Organize and price items for the yard sale
– Help sell items at the yard sale
– Stuff mailboxes in Capitol Hill with fliers for the yard sale, Wednesday April 8, (gathering at COSC, more details to come)
– Bring a baked good for the bake sale, same day.
– Come BUY things at the yard sale, bring your friends. Make a morning of it.
Playground Build
When: Sat. May 30, 9AM – finished
Where: Hopkins Apartments, 1000 12th St. SE
How you can help:
– Come build the playground! All skills and age levels welcome (kids must be accompanied by an adult).