Cape Assist Continues Free After-School “K.A.R.E.” Program

Wildwood, NJ – Cape Assist’s widely successful free program, K.A.R.E. - Kids Art Resource and Education Center - is now kicking off their annual after-school program after a successful summer season educating Cape May County youth on healthy habits and life skills, the first one in over a decade.

Cape Assist expanded the K.A.R.E. program to the summer year to meet the unique needs of the youth in the county. Both the summer and after-school programs use an evidence-based curriculum to teach children in kindergarten and 1st grade about healthy and responsible choices. With the help of a $1,200 donation from the Greater Wildwood Kiwanis Club and funding from Ocean Inc, the summer programs included everything from interactive games to guest speakers. Cape Assist includes similar programming while partnering with educators and community members through special lessons during the school year.

“Programs like K.A.R.E. emphasize Cape Assist’s goals of coming together as a community to support our future generations,” said Katie Faldetta, Executive Director and CEO of Cape Assist. “These programs have proven to be effective and give our youth a safe space outside of school, while providing them with the tools and skills to grow into successful young adults.”

Cape Assist has been facilitating the KARE afterschool program in Cape May County for over 20 years. The afterschool program has two main goals. The first goal is establishing a connection with the youth in the program, so they recognize that Cape Assist is a safe place in their community that they can always reach out to for help and support. The second goal is lay the foundation of resiliency in the youth, so they are less likely to grow up dependent on drugs and alcohol. Youth with these skills are less likely to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with the adversity thy may face.

“In Cape May County, parents are often working multiple jobs and long hours to meet the demands of the summer tourism season,” said Joe Faldetta, Cape Assist’s Director of Prevention Services. “Parents are often looking for positive things for their children to take part in while they work those long hours. We felt that we could best serve our county youth by continuing to offer our KARE program during the summer when youth can often be unattended while their parents are working.”

Cape Assist will begin the K.A.R.E. after-school program starting Monday, Sept. 26. from 2:30-5pm. Programs will continue Monday through Thursday into the start of June at the Cape Assist Building.

Parents interested in registering their child for the K.A.R.E after-school program can visit www.capeassist.org/kare. Slots are based on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are a local organization or business and would be interested in volunteering to share a lesson/activity with the K.A.R.E. students, please contact Chelymarie Reyes at (609) 522-5960 or by email at Chely@CapeAssist.org.