St. Jude House will be holding a campaign throughout the month of February to help fund the installation of a brand-new children’s playground on St. Jude House property.
Although St. Jude House serves as a shelter for women, many people do not realize how many children are housed in the facility as well. In fact, of the 382 people St. Jude House served in 2017, 183 of them were children; that’s nearly 50% of all clients served! At any given time, there are 20-25 children living in the shelter, with the majority falling between the ages of 2 and 12. A top priority of St. Jude House is to provide a safe and fun environment for these children to grow, learn, and receive the care they deserve, and a major component of this is the outdoor play area.
The current playground is 23 years old, and has a significant amount of wear and tear from years of play. “When you have a facility that hosts so many children at one time, a playground should meet public park standards, not just family backyard standards”, says Linda Perez, Executive Director of St. Jude House. For these kids, outdoor play often serves as a way to cope with their experiences of family violence, and having a quality set of play equipment can make a world of difference for them; it can bring joy into their lives where there once was sadness and fear, and a give them the freedom to let go and just be kids.
The campaign will run from February 1st through February 28th, and will aim to raise $5,000 to support the demolition of the current playground. The funds will also aid in the installation of the new equipment, which was generously provided by the Crown Point Community Foundation, for which St. Jude House is extremely grateful. If all goes according to plan, the new playground will be ready for the summer of 2018. Although the goal is to raise $5,000, any addition funds collected will be used to help St. Jude House in the areas it is most needed.
St. Jude House, a family violence prevention center and shelter located in Crown Point, IN, pursues a vision where all engage in healthy relationships characterized by the mutual sharing of resources and responsibility. St. Jude House is a catalyst in Northwest Indiana for the prevention, education and awareness of domestic violence and sexual abuse, providing quality, compassionate and effective services and resources to those impacted by abuse.