Family Shelter Playground

Wow, this is going to be a big project! The best think I learned from this webinar is that there are MANY people involved. I felt very relieved upon hearing the many different committees we can form to help out. I have several people in mind to lead us through this fun project!

A couple options for vendors in our area include: Harmony Recreation Products which is located here in Sacramento. Their website isn’t as informative as some of the others but it seems like it would be convenient to work with someone who is right here in our community. Manufacturer: Big Toys NSP3 which serves northern California among other areas. Their site has a great product gallery. Manufacturer: Playworld Systems, Inc

The KaBOOM! Toolkit offers an overwhelming amount if information. Some of the areas that were especially helpful follow. Fundraising is an important piece of this puzzle. As a Health and Human Services provider, our budgets have continued to shrink over the past year. We are working on several grants to support this project. We will also be looking for support from individuals in the community who want to help. http://kaboom.org/build_playspace/toolkit/fundraising We would really love to get not only the children living at the shelter involved but also children in the community. They can help us with designing the playground, raising money, drawing/painting signs or banners, etc. http://kaboom.org/build_playspace/toolkit/childrens_activities The community involvement aspect is very exciting! We are always looking for meaningful ways to involve our current donors, volunteers, staff and families and others. This project is a fun way to involve many! http://kaboom.org/build_playspace/toolkit/community_involvement/make_ask

Current volunteers New volunteers Shelter from the Storm Society Members and their families Building industry partners Staff Ambassador team

Unstructured play is very important in the growth of a child. Sure, the open field next to our shelter is a great place to run around but boredom will quickly set in. Not to mention it's not exactly safe as it is now. The ground is uneven, there are large stumps scattered around and there is no fence. We are excited to get the community involved in our playground project. It's a great opportunity to engage our current donors and volunteers as well as introduce others to the work we do in the community. In using volunteers, the project becomes much more affordable and everyone benefits!

Thank you for your interest in our playground project! I was at the Family Shelter yesterday for a tour and was energized by all the children playing and running around. One little guy kept peeking out of the dining area at us and smiling, another wanted a high five from all six tour guests as we walked by. So many sweet faces! Rainy days will soon be long gone and the children living at the shelter will be anxious to get outside and play. Unfortunately, all they have now is a large, empty grassy area. I hope you will join us in securing funding or volunteering your time to make this dream come true! Please call me at (916) 442-3691 if you would like a tour of the shelter or have any questions.