Chamberlain’s Children Center benefits from Leadership
insight
The first Leadership San Benito County class has had a lasting
effect at Chamberlain’s Children Center. The efforts the class
began in 2005 have continued with recently completed play and
sports areas at the home for students with severe behavioral
issues.
Chamberlain’s Children Center benefits from Leadership insight
The first Leadership San Benito County class has had a lasting effect at Chamberlain’s Children Center. The efforts the class began in 2005 have continued with recently completed play and sports areas at the home for students with severe behavioral issues.
The new play area includes green grass where once only weeds grew, a hammock and a set of six swings.
On a recent warm, sunny afternoon half a dozen students ran from swing to swing, where before they had to share just three. They dangled from monkey bars. One blond-haired boy took a run around the green playing field.
“It makes your mood,” said Reena Sharma, a special education teacher who works with the students on campus. “It used to be all dirty and it made them feel dirty.”
The children’s center houses more than 20 students who need full-time supervision and provides classes to about half the students onsite.
“With cuts in state funding and no allowance for increases in the cost of living, we struggle with covering expenses for basic necessities,” said Doreen Crumrine, the executive director of Chamberlain’s in a press release. “Thanks to the 2005 class of Leadership San Benito County for initiating the project, to Mike and Tracy Nino for coordinating the installation, and to all the generous donations that poured in from throughout the community, the children at Chamberlain’s now have a wonderful place to gather and play.”
The Leadership class originally focused on raising funds to provide a safety perimeter fence for the school as well as planning a sports and play area. They secured much of the needed funding from Monterey Peninsula Foundation, a nonprofit group.
The group recruited Tracy Nino to coordinate the park plan. Other money or contributions came from local Rotary clubs, the Woolpert Family Foundation, the Santa Clara and San Benito Counties Building and Construction Trade Council, the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show Association and Darin Del Curto of GMD Construction.
Rosemary Bridewell designed the landscape and Melanie Chatfield coordinated donations.
The installation of the play area is not the end of the work at Chamberlain’s, according to one 2005 Leadership classmate.
“While the children now have a beautiful, safe park, there is still a critical need to upgrade, renovate and expand all of the facilities at Chamberlain’s Children Center,” said Mary Damm, a 2005 class member and LSBC board president.
The comprehensive site plan has already been developed and efforts are under way to start a capital campaign.
In the meantime, the kids are enjoying the play area since it was open a few weeks ago. During the months of construction, most of the space outside the classrooms and bedrooms was off limits.
“Now they get to play baseball and volleyball,” said Yolanda Soza, a teacher’s aide. “All weekend they want to be out here.”
For more information or to contribute to future projects, visit www.chamberlaincc.org or call 831-636-2121.
Melissa Flores can be reached at mf*****@**********ws.com.
