BATH

A cozy reading corner, a piano, an arts and crafts table, toys, puppets and shelves of books make the small building behind Bath Nazarene Church a welcoming space for children to learn and grow.

Appropriately called A Kid’s Place, director Darlene Compton is hoping to expand the free community program in the coming months.

The nonprofit organization evolved from a Sunday morning program Compton started at the church after she saw “a bunch of children in church who just kind of sat there … and weren’t getting anything out of the service.”

“I started doing lessons that they’d understand and doing different things,” she said on Wednesday. “We’d play games, we did arts and crafts, we did music … to kind of put home what we were trying to teach them, and they really responded to that much better than sitting in a pew. And then it just grew to the point where I didn’t have room over there.”

Before the organization moved over to the church-owned building, Stanford Hall was used for church events in past years, said Rashell Alfaisalawi, Compton’s daughter.

“(The building) wasn’t being used and we wanted to use a space to help people in the community because there are low-income families,” she said. “There are really no free programs and if you’re in that gray area of making too much money to get any help, or you don’t make enough to pay, this is going to be a free program where people can come in and get that help.”

The organization currently hosts a Wednesday night program that invites children in the community to attend educational clubs, a free dinner with their families and other activities as well. Activities like apple picking, horse carriage rides, family picnics and movie nights have also been included in the past.

“Our biggest goal is to have an after-school program start shortly,” Alfaisalawi said. “So (kids) can get tutoring, homework help and if some want to learn music or play instruments, we have someone who helps teach them.”

The program, which Compton plans to start in February, would run Monday through Friday for children ages 6 through 11.

Compton hopes to eventually purchase computers, iPads and other educational materials for students to use for school work.

“I kind of want to extend that because not everybody gets the same amount of time on them in schools,” she said.

For now, lack of funding has stalled some improvements to the building, as the organization mainly functions on donations.

“We still have a little bit to do — odds and ends, framing and window framing and the sign. That’s basically as much as we have left to do,” Alfaisalawi said.

Improvements also include making the bathroom and building entrance handicap accessible, as the organization also works with children who have intellectual and learning disabilities.

“I think if we did have the funds, we could get all the other stuff we needed, and I think everything would fall right into place,” Compton said.

Staff members at A Kid’s Place are all volunteers who have an educational background in teaching, early childhood education or special needs, including Compton, her two daughters and Bath Nazarene Church Pastor Kimberly Merrill. Compton, who has a master’s degree in education, also serves as a substitute teacher in Regional School Unit 1.

“We want to help the families and unite them and work with them together, and let them know there’s a safe place, a non-judgemental place to come if they need it,” Alfaisalawi said.

“So that’s what we’re all about — being there for kids,” Compton added.

An open house for A Kid’s

Place will take place this Sunday, Jan. 24 from 2-4 p.m. at 193 Centre St. in Bath for those who want to learn more about the program. For more information, contact Rashell Alfaisalawi at (207) 449-8823 or [email protected].

dkim@timesrecord.com

Open house Sunday

• AN OPEN HOUSE for A Kid’s Place will take place this Sunday, Jan. 24 from 2-4 p.m. at 193 Centre St. in Bath.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Rashell Alfaisalawi at (207) 449-8823 or [email protected].