Building a Playground from the Ground Up!

Covenant House residents work not only to improve their own lives but also the lives of others. Saturday July 24th, fourteen residents and two staff spent the day building a playground on an abandoned lot right down the street from Covenant House. They collaborated with the Starlight Community Baptist Church and the Playground Project to transform an empty lot behind the church into a playground for children in need. The Knight Foundation and Kaboom playgrounds sponsored the project.

When CHM residents arrived at the site, there was nothing but woodchips and empty land. The play equipment itself came in boxes, and a few volunteer carpenters helped everyone assemble it. After 6 hours of service the CHM residents, along with more than 90 other volunteers, built an entire playground. It took a lot of hard work, and it also taught the residents a few lessons about giving back to their community.

Marcellus, who helped with the project said, “It’s one step to making the city better. That’s all it takes.” His friend Naseer also commented, “I couldn’t believe we could build a whole park by hand that fast!” CHM hopes to continue engaging in these types of community projects in the future. Just like when anyone volunteers, opportunities like this build on residents’ work ethics and teamwork skills while also giving them a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Thanks to Rashard, Shyaam, Brittany J., Christopher A., James M., Antonio, Terrence E., Terrence L, Royce, Devon, Marcellus, Nasser, Tommy, and James C. Mr. Lamar and Ms. Shanina for participating in the project!