Stephanie Abrams, site director for the YMCA After-School Care at Elkhart Elementary in Aurora, is a gentle boss.
Recently, she supervised 20 kids ages 6 through 11 during the program where the youngsters snacked on Boulder Canyon potato chips, and — based on their behavior — earned a trip to the treasure box where they picked out a prize.
Smiley-face stickers earned during the week get them a Halloween-size candy, but a star — which means they were extra good — gives them a full-size candy bar.
Trey Arias, 11, is pretty sure he’s earning smiley faces. “I’m probably the oldest here,” he said. “Yeah, that gives me great joy.”
The YMCA runs 28 before- and after-school programs across the metro area, from Adams County to Thornton to Littleton, and from Golden to Aurora. The programs serve 950 kids, and more than 260 receive financial assistance. The YMCA is among many agencies applying for funding from this year’s Season to Share campaign.
“The site directors help with homework, curriculum or enrichment,” said Kim Schulz, executive director of the program. “There is definitely a need for those kids needing financial assistance.”
After snack and treasure-box awards at Elkhart, it’s time for a litter clean-up competition, which the group does once a month. The winning team of two will get a treasure box full-size candy bar.
Before Abrams can even utter the word “go,” Daryus Charles finds a stray potato chip on the floor. “That’s No. 1,” he says while his partner deposits the chip in the litter-collection bag.
The kids pair up — their choice — with one team member wearing a rubber glove to pick up trash, and the other person holding the plastic bag for the garbage.
They swarm over a particular section of the school outdoors and go after trash pieces as if they were hunting for Easter eggs.
When time’s up, Trey is among the whittled down pairs who have picked up the most trash. He starts campaigning for the No. 1 spot.
“Theirs is a lot of big paper, but we picked up so much little stuff,” he pleads about his way-full plastic bag. In the end, he and teammate Alan Corral, 10, are pronounced the winners.
The kids in the Elkhart after- school YMCA program are primarily Latino. They are adorable, but have the typical fidgeting kids’ ailment. Abrams, a psychology degree holder, is in control.
“When I am talking to the group, you are not talking,” she says firmly but calmly.
After the litter patrol, plans are for the kids to participate in card trading — whether sports-figures cards or Pokemon. And then quiet time with help with homework, reading or playing board games.
Penny Parker: 303-954-5224 or pparker@denverpost.com
