“I wish more children could have… a place where individuals are still cared for and there is a family atmosphere that is good for children. . . .not just a place to play ball [but] a community meeting place where lifelong friends have been made, young boys have grown into men, and athletic skills have been honed.” – Excerpts from “The Ball Fields”, Written by Kyle Burnat, English 114a, Yale University October 16, 2001
Since our inception, TPF has partnered with the East Atlanta Kids Club (EAKC) to provide disadvantaged youths in the community recreational and educational opportunities. For most of the past 11 years, the EAKC has met at Brownwood Park Recreation Center but due to the city’s budget woes Brownwood has been closed – now numbering among 22 of Atlanta’s 33 recreation centers that are closed indefinitely. This has left many children in Atlanta with no place to go after school or in the summer time. Fortunately, the EAKC has kept going, finding space to meet in a local church. But the church has limited classroom space and no green space in which the kids can play and exercise.
In order for their program to thrive again, they need to get back into the recreation center and to the large park and recreational facilities that surround it. Before moving back and resuming program activities in the center, the city is requiring EAKC to have commitments to cover the cost of utilities and maintenance for one year – $16,160 . Currently they have commitments for about half of that amount.
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