Sabrina Henderson is looking forward to more room for children's programs when a new Community Renewal Friendship House opens in Shreveport after the first of the year.
"I think it will have a little more structure," said Henderson, who coordinates the Queensborough neighborhood Kids Club for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. "It's tough when you have two clubs meeting in the same place."
The new house will be Community Renewal's 10th neighborhood revitalization center and its second in Queensborough. Coordinators who live in each center oversee literacy, life skills and community service programs for children and adults. Wednesday, Henderson worked one-on-one with youngsters finishing their homework.
Henderson said she'll be calling on parents to become more involved when the new location opens.
"I'd like them to at least come see what their children are doing," she said.
Community Renewal has faced funding challenges in the past couple of years, but money from the House for Hope Auction this summer is underwriting some of the Friendship House construction.
Donations will cover the rest, said builder Curtis Loftin.
"We still need ceramic tile, carpet, counter tops, light fixtures, Sheetrock, door locks and hardware," Loftin said.
Community Renewal continues to seek sponsors for operating funds. The organization is "solidifying" its neighborhood revitalization structure in Shreveport and Bossier City, said founder Mack McCarter.
The organization also is gathering baseline data so it can measure how relationship building affects neighborhoods it serves.
"Within six months we will have all the baseline stuff done and within a year the first reports coming in. We want to show not only economic impact but what this means in terms of engendering hope and sense of well-being for all of us," McCarter said.
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