RHA Afterschool Program Offers STEM; Hot Meals

With school back in session after many challenges due to COVID-19, Roxboro Housing Authority students are getting academic support along with a hot meal. The RHA Afterschool Program is back in session. Harris Gardens along with Weatherly Heights are the two program sites for 2020-2021 academic school year.

From learning about DNA through a STEM activity to getting extra help with homework, RHA children are excited to be back together, learning and exploring various academic subject matter.

Ms. Charlene Bumphus returns this year as the STEM instructor. Mr. Larry Mayfield, RHA Family Self Sufficiency Coordinator, serves as the afterschool program coordinator.

The afterschool program meets Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM at Harris Gardens Community Room off Mount Bethel Church Street and Weatherly Heights Community Center at 161 Cleveland Lane.

It is free and open to Roxboro Housing Authority children only this year.  Parent applications are required.

Safety measures are practiced including a requirement for all participants to wear a face covering, to practice social distancing at all times and to wash hands with soap and water and/or hand sanitizer.

An afterschool child nutrition grant from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services allowed the Housing Authority select a food vender, Smokey Dave's BBQ off Madison Boulevard in Roxboro, to offer hot suppers for participants. This continues the agency's efforts to facilitate hot meals for its youth, serving almost 15,000 lunches during the Spring and Summer of 2020.

Donations are welcome from the general public and non-profit organizations. RHA thanks Person Co. Cooperative Extension Agency for numerous packets of plant seeds, garden tools and booklets about gardening; a perfect donation as the agency recently erected community gardens at each apartment site during the Summer of 2020. RHA also acknowledges Person County Arts Council for donating art supplies and Person County GIS Department for providing Census2020 coloring books.

For more information, call Mr. Mayfield at 336.647.4340.