SouthStar CDC Sponsors East Atlanta Kids Club

By Jill Sieder
The Porch Press
July 2000

The East Atlanta Kids Club, a non-profit mentoring program for at-risk children based in Brownwood Park, has joined forces with the SouthStar Community Development Corporation, which will now act as the fiscal sponsor for the kids club. The new affiliation between the two groups will allow the  ids club to receive tax-exempt donations and grants, benefiting from SouthStar's status as an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

The SouthStar Board Members of the CDC, founded in July of 1998, represent a cross-section of Southeast Atlanta neighborhoods and businesses, including South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development (SAND), East Atlanta Community Association (EACA), and the East Atlanta Business Association (EABA).  SouthStar's broad mission statement allows it to become involved in a wide range of community projects including land use planning, residential housing, commercial development, and educational and enrichment projects for children and youth.

The East Atlanta Kids Club was formed two years ago by local residents who wanted to engage at-risk children in the neighborhood in fun and stimulating after-school activities. It currently meets each Tuesday afternoon from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Brownwood Park Recreation Center, where the kids paint and sculpt, play kickball and whittle ball, and share what's on their mind with adult volunteers.  The Kids Club also goes on field trips about once a month:  recent trips have included swimming at Candler Park pool and watching the Harlem Globetrotters play at Philips Arena.

Members in the club is free to all children ages 7 to 12 years; currently about 30 children in East Atlanta are members. More children are welcome to join and more adult volunteers are always needed. Call Jill Sieder, Coordinator of the East Atlanta Kids Club at 404-635-0795 for more information about how to enroll your child, to make a donation, or to volunteer your time.