ERfC to Host "Lights On" Afterschool Events for the Enfield Community

Press Release, September 20, 2011, From Beth Mangan, Volunteer & Community Programs Coordinator, Educational Resources for Children, Inc (ERfC), Phone: 860-253-9935, Email: emangan@erfc.us:

ERfC to Host LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL events for the Enfield Community

           ENFIELD—On October 20th, 2011, Educational Resources for Children, Inc. (ERfC) will join more than 7,500 communities and one million Americans to celebrate Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide event organized by the Afterschool Alliance to rally support for afterschool programs.

                ERfC will participate by holding community events at the organization’s three After School-Age Care Centers located in Henry Barnard and Enfield Street elementary schools and JFK Middle School from 5:00-6:00 PM.  Students enrolled in ERfC’s After School-Age Care Centers will be demonstrating for guests the myriad of activities they participate in each day at after-school.

               Claire Hall, ERfC Executive Director, said, “In addition to [supporting] academic and enrichment activities, the Centers keep kids safe, help working families, and inspires success among youth.  We offer safe places for kids to learn and grow outside the classroom during the academic year and during summers.”

The Promising Afterschool Programs Study, conducted by the University of California at Irvine, found that regular participation in high-quality afterschool programs is linked to significant gains in standardized test scores and work habits as well as reductions in behavior problems.  Hall said, “The annual event draws attention to the need for continued federal, state and community funding to “Keep the Lights On Afterschool” in our community for all students.”

             “We are looking forward to giving parents and community members the opportunity to see the many educational activities that children are involved in during their out-of-school hours,”  Hall added.  In addition to helping working families and providing youth with enriching opportunities to help them grow into successful adults, Hall stated that “quality after school programs give children the opportunity to discover hidden talents as they grow academically and socially.” 

According to the CT After School Network, In the United States today, 15.1 million children go home alone after school.  In Connecticut 28% or 1-4(172,417) of Connecticut’s K-12 children are responsible for taking care of themselves after-school.

At the annual celebration, ERfC will also be recognizing the many volunteers who assist in the After School-Age Centers during the school year and in Summer Escape.  Four individuals, all from Enfield, receiving Presidential Service Awards for their volunteer work in 2011 will be: Sylvia Hughes, Kelly Spazzarini, and Maribeth Norton all of Enfield; and Marion Lavoie of Broad Brook. In order to qualify for a Presidential Service Award, volunteers must complete a total of 100 hours or more of volunteer work within one calendar year at a Presidential Call to Service Award certifying agency.

ERfC, a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to increasing youth resiliency, has been providing innovative after-school programming since 1994 to the Enfield Community. ERfC is supported by community and individual donors, businesses, foundations, and funding through the CT Department of Education. 

ERfC collaborates and partners with Enfield Together Coalition, KITE (Key Initiates to Early Education), and Enfield Partners in Education (PIE).  ERfC is also a partner with United Way of Central and Northeastern CT. A member of the North Central Chamber of Commerce, ERfC is a professional member of The Afterschool Alliance and the CT After School Network.

For more information about the ERfC After School-Age Care Centers and how to enroll children, call 860-253-9935, email info@erfc.us, or visit the ERfC website at www.erfc.us.