The first week of the Warwick Area Farmworkers Organization Dulce Esperanza Summer Enrichment Program kicked off last week and we are happy to report we had great start for this year’s program filled with many activities, educational opportunities, and thanks to so many volunteers a full staff to help out this year’s class of ninety children enrolled in the Summer Program. Once again this year, children in the program range in age from preschool all the way up to high school. All the students are children of local migrant farm workers and many would not experience programs like this without the generous support of our many donors who continue to help make our story one of success for our students.
This summer is off to a great start for the children in Dulce Esperanza Program. The days are hot and water squirters were a great way to cool off. Ice cream on Fridays is the other favorite activity for all ninety students attending.
The Wickham Works group facilitated and provided materials for a wonderful art activity as well. First they had the students work on a group art project together and then break out into individual art projects on their own.
Then with the tutelage of multi-cultural arts advocate Judy Battista the children participated in a dance program together. Ms. Battista shared with the children her love of dance and helped them learn some new dance moves that the students were all excited to show off to their parents come pickup time.
Thank you again to Wickham Works for its continued support of our Summer Program and for leading the students in these activities!
On July 6th, the Warwick Area Farmworker Organization hosted it’s six annual High School Graduation party for the recently graduated high school seniors in our Programs. Eight students who have been a part of the organization’s activities and program throughout the past years have graduated High School this year. Their families were honored, as well as, the students themselves. Individuals who have served as volunteers in our program along with those who did so in other organizations serving migrant farmworkers were part of the celebration as well. Each student received a gift and were acknowledged for their accomplishments throughout the many years they all took part in the WAFO programs. Six out of the eight graduating high school students are planning to attend college in the 2022 Fall Semester.
This is a huge accomplishment for the migrant community where typically elsewhere in similar communities high school graduation levels are much lower and very few students go on to secondary education in college or vocations. Therefore we cannot overstate just how truly proud we are of these senior students who worked so hard to get to this point and achieve this first big educational milestone in their lives. We know they will achieve many more milestones in the years to come. The many people (volunteers, teachers, aides, donors, etc…) who put so much into our Programs should be proud of this moment as well. This is a visible sign of why you donated all the energy, effort, and sacrificed your time that could be spent doing something else to make sure these students succeeded. Likewise we acknowledge their parents who guided, supported them, and lead this to this moment in their lives. Congratulations!
Finally, the Linus Project for a second year has donated a hundred handmade blankets to our program. Students from the Dulce Esperanza Summer Program were able to select a blanket that they liked. Each of the High School Senior graduates also received a special blanket. The children love these blankets and despite high temperatures wrapped themselves in them. It is just one more example of how the community and individuals make a difference in the lives of these children.
We are so grateful to the many teachers, aides, volunteers, supporters, collaborators, parents, and community members who helped make this week such a success. We are also very grateful to all of those people and organizations that so generously continue to donate financially to our programs to make them happen. We cannot thank you all enough for your support, but we hope seeing these joyful faces is some small reward for your generosity, compassion, courage, and kindness.
If you would like to join in supporting programs like this please consider making a donation to our programs online here. We are very excited to announce you are now able to make a reoccurring monthly support donation through our automated monthly donation system. This is a great way to help us stay funded throughout the year and put your money to its best use to make sure children in the migrant farmworker community have opportunities like these for many years to come. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
