About
BACKSTORY
Because we have no back yard!
The kids in our East Wheeling neighborhood were having a very hard day! They had been yelled at and run off the local field for climbing on the fence, because they didn't have any balls to play with. They had been told by an adult, “It was dangerous!”. The kids moved on and came up with a new game-”Let’s be “Banshees”. Now, I am not exactly sure what this entails, but it led to them getting yelled at by another adult for running up and down the sidewalk, while they waved their arms, yelling. This adult reprimanded them, saying, "It was dangerous!" - So the frustrated kids moved on once more. Finally, some kid came up with the idea to crumbled up some garbage into a ball and they were throwing it to each other in the street. Now, it is an urban neighborhood street but...they soon were yelled at to get out of the street - "It was dangerous!", another adult said.
At this point, irritated with adults, a few of the kids then decided to go explore an abandoned house. As you can imagine, it didn't take long before someone got cut and the crew of kids came to the House of Hagar (where I live) for a band-aid. When I asked what had happened, they told me about the abandoned house exploration - I yelled at them! Did they know how dangerous that was!?
The kids were as fed up as all the adults that had yelled at them that day. "What are we supposed to do?”, one kid yelled, rehashing their litany of playtime defeat. "It is not fair! We just want to play," another sulked. The collective of little disappointed faces did me in. Then, for the first time, I really thought about it - like from a kid's perspective. They described how hard it could be to live in our neighborhood. From the lack of safe spaces, to the lack to play equipment. They also described what it felt like to deal with trauma, family financial issues and other hard stuff. We are so busy helping solve adult problems and building adult community, I hadn't really thought about this.
So I asked the kids, “Well, you have been hearing from the adults all day, what do you think we should do to help you not get yelled at, and have a place to play?” Honestly, I was expecting a, "We don't know?" so I could get back to what I was doing and return to the conversation later...but apparently they had been talking already, and with one of the House of Hagar teenagers had already dreamed up an idea; "We want a Fun-Raiser!
I misunderstood, "A fundraiser? But what are we raising funds for?," I asked, confused. "NO, a FUN-raiser" another kid stated matter-a-factly. They then explained their whole idea for a mobile activity center, that would have safe Play Stops and be packed with creative play items and art equipment, and dance music...It would be a space that could move with life in an urban environment...or better said," We can move it around, to where we can play that day!" Oh my heart! They had astounded me. This was crazy...This was great! They had not only voiced a problem and solved a problem - but made me realize they are right. Not only do they need a play space and equipment, they need a space to voice concerns and dream up ways to solve them. I am fortunate to get to be the Executive Director of HoH-Share inc., and to witness this program grow and evolve under the leadership of youth who declared themselves to be “The Never Bored Board”. What started as a group of kids around a table in the urban core of East Wheeling, now serves of 3,000 kids of the Ohio Valley through Trauma Informed Safe Play Stops! so I took these children to talk to our Board. The Never Bored Board continues to grow and to astound me! Together they are raising the bar on what a healthy kid in a friendly urban environment looks like - and it began by listening to the kids.
In All That Grows Good,
Kate Marshall
HoH-Share inc. Executive Director
Where will The Fun-Raiser go?
Have a suggestion? Let us know!
During the summer will have a total of 8 stops at 2 hours each. Our locations change yearly based on where we find that we are needed most. We usually find ourselves in East Wheeling, South Wheeling, North Park, Hil-Dar, Moundsville, and Wheeling Island. Check out the Schedule Tab or our Facebook for our most recent schedule!
During the school year stops will be on weekends and holidays, with a heavy emphasis on community events and school visits.
Winter programming will be both held both indoors and outdoors depending on conditions.
Community Events/Organizations
The Fun-Raiser will participate in other community events throughout the season upon request and availability. If you think The Fun-Raiser Urban Mobile Playground would help make your community event more fun, let us know through our Contact Page.
Who will facilitate The Fun-Raiser?
What are “Fun-Facilitators” and “Fun-Experts?”
We creatively staff “The Fun-Raiser” with "Fun-Facilitators" to promote healthy play, a growing sense of community and well-being.
Fun-Facilitators are:
Adult - a collaboration of approved volunteer Community Educators, University Students, Athletes, Mentors, Parents, Community Leaders and Members of local church congregations, help create a safe, fun and inspiring place for children to play, while also striving to create a strong community network of partners that might not otherwise have known each other.
Youth - Youth Leaders are an integral part of The Fun-Raiser. Youth Fun-Facilitators are a part of the "Never Bored Board Meetings " that help guide the vision of the program, participate in its functions and offer peer to peer mentorship and friendship at play-stops.
Fun-Experts are: Each week we schedule visiting Fun Experts for every stop, such as professional hula-hoopers, soccer ball gurus, face painters, box-fort builders, community educators (They have to be FUN!)...whatever seems to get the kids moving, active and engaging in healthy fun!
How does The Fun-Raiser Urban Mobile Playground help our children to be healthy, happy and proactive?
(An adult perspective)
Project Targets :
- Obesity (WV ranks #1 in the Nation)
- Trauma prevention and processing/response to WV’s high ACE scores
(Adverse Childhood Experiences. A recent West Virginia study noted that at least 50% of our youth have an ACE score. These scores are highest in low income urban neighborhoods and directly correlate with drug abuse data.)
- Substance Abuse Prevention (WV ranks #1 in overdose deaths)
- Wellness and Healthy lifestyles (WV ranks in the top 5 of preventable chronic health conditions and #1 in depression)
- Youth Leadership and empowerment
- Community Building
‘At risk youth’ in low income areas might not be thinking about the economic stresses, systemic dysfunctions, violence and drugs that surround them, and are mostly thinking about playing and being a kid-BUT these realities do have both emotional and physical effects on them. Combine this with the statistics that West Virginia ranks in the top 5 (and often #1) states in the Nation for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and depression, getting outside and actively playing takes on a whole other level of seriousness. The CDC reports that the more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) a community’s children endure, the higher these negative health statistics go up.
The good news is that non-competitive play and physical activity, might in fact, be the healthiest response children can have to these ACEs realities. Studies show that exercise reduces stress and playing/physical activity can actually act as a release for trauma. Playing also fosters character building, social skills, teamwork, inclusion and can be a deterrent to drug use. Research also states that kids who get to play outside do better in school, as it helps with cognitive brain development and attention spans, while it builds confidences and leadership abilities, as well. Bessel A. van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps Score, Brain, Mind and Body in Healing , says it best, “The brain-disease model overlooks four fundamental truths: (1) our capacity to destroy one another is matched by our capacity to heal one another. Restoring relationships and community is central to restoring well-being; (2) language gives us the power to change ourselves and others by communicating our experiences, helping us to define what we know, and finding a common sense of meaning; (3) we have the ability to regulate our own physiology, including some of the so-called involuntary functions of the body and brain, through such basic activities as breathing, moving, and touching; and (4) we can change social conditions to create environments in which children and adults can feel safe and where they can thrive.”
They asked for it!
The kids in our community reached out to us adults. We not only want to honor their idea, but we believe that in it they deserve a healthy, happy, healing childhood experience! We also believe The Fun-Raiser will continue to act as a venue for kids to dream, imagine, and lend their voice in telling us how we can make our community better for them. Too often we design urban environments with adults in mind and forget the future is often found in the 4 ft. and below. The Fun-Raiser Urban Mobile Playground is a place to be active in united play, host kid-talks, and hold out a promise to our youth. A promise that we care and want meaningful conversation about what is going on in our neighborhoods and world. What if the way to change the world is by one community kickball game or hula hoop session at a time? These kids are on a mission to try it!