Well! All of our adventurers worked so hard at mastering a school-work-life balance in 2024.
We began rehearsals in January for stage play production in March. By April, we had partnered with Freedom Family Church, Hundredfold Coffee, and Catholic Daughters to hold true to our commitment with Grace for the Streets, a feeding program created by Mrs. Fannie to provide a hot meal for the homeless every Monday night. From this commitment, Cajun Gems Culinary (CGC), a division of Save Our Community Kids Adventure Camps (SOCKAC) was born. In this culinary program our adventurers are learning basic skills in food prep, budgeting, food safety, catering and event planning, and community services. Our summer was consumed with CGC program. We had a culinary "Battle on the Back Porch", we sold goodies at library fests, we had a "school drive fundraiser" (the adventurers planned, prepared, and sold plate lunches to earn money for their school supplies. Level One adventurer graduated to Level Two on August 4, 2024. This is an on*going program.
Our beginners' class serve a lunch to our city workers a "Thank you" gesture for keeping our city functioning and clean.
In May we had an "Everything Music Day". Marcus Dugas and The Producer's Academy from Crowley came down and taught the adventurers how to create and produce music (with or without lyrics). Every adventurer walked away with a recording of a music piece they produced!
In August we visited Sgt. Putman, Recruiter for Evangeline Parish and had a great time at the National Guard! Also, in August we opened our third division under SOCKAC--Masterpieces! In this division, the adventurers are learning to make their hobbies into a business. From this division, we have partnered with Pastor Steven Sawtelle's Freedom Center Carpentry Program (FCC). FCC affords the adventurers to learn skills using saws, drills, measuring tools, hammers, sanders, and more! Their first project, a planter, is beautiful and they sold over 20 since August!
We have adventures in library fest, Christmas parade, City Hall meetings, Chamber of Commerce meetings, Rotary of Ville Platte meetings, KAJN radio spots, KATC filming, CASA gift wrapping, created Christmas cards for patients at Mercy Regional Hospital, and biggest adventure was planning, organizing, managing a community Thanksgiving Day Dinner on Thanksgiving Day for citizens in our city! It was electrifying! The youth supervisors organized and managed three sections--dine-in, pick-up, and delivery resulting in 230 plates served!
So, these youth supervisors deserved this sleepover night! Thanks to Mrs. Sue Promier for getting this sleepover party started by inviting the adventures to tour her Christmas and create a special ornament. Then, we returned to SOCKAC Center, and they received their Christmas gift No laughing at my gift wrapping. gifts came in just in time to print! Thanks to Kreative Krafts for coming through at last minute!). For the remainder of the sleepover, it was pizza, cold drinks, snacks, laughing, dancing, talking, movies, etc!
Stay tuned! 2025 begins soon!!!!!! It will be EPIC!!!!!
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