DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - In April, Executive Director Shemuel Sanders issued a plea to the community, asking for a new space to hold programming for Shemilah Outreach Center.
After searching for weeks, he was able to collaborate with St. Paul's Lutheran Church to use classroom space for the summer and throughout the school year.
Around 70 children, ranging in age from four to 24, came to the program every day. Sanders and his team would pick up the kids around 8 a.m. and take them to the facility until around 3 p.m.
"When a child is by themselves, they can get into a lot of mischief things," Sanders said. "Our summer program consists of education and peer support programs."
Sanders said in addition to providing a safe space, the team wants to ensure the kids stay in a typical school routine and continue to learn, even though school is out. He also encourages older participants to interact with younger participants and provide them with mentors.
Sanders hopes to bring some of the same strategies he uses at the Outreach Center to local schools, ensuring kids can continue to succeed.
"Our goal is to talk to the teachers, the counselors, the principals to make sure that the kids are being met," Sanders said. "If for some reason the child is having issues, then that's where we are coming in."
Sanders said many of the issues kids are having at school are caused by simple things. He wants to fix those problems, like providing consistent food or helping kids buy shoes that fit, before it becomes a problem at school.
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