LEE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER GOALS
This nonprofit is in Elaine, Arkansas. Phillips County is one of the poorest in our country. It is part of TOGETHER FOR HOPE, a commitment by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to work in the 20 poorest counties for 20 years, starting in 2001.
There are now three main goals of the Lee Street Community Center.
1. The nonprofit started in an old, portable school building that had been donated and moved from Helena to the the poorest part of Elaine. Since the schools were closed, students ride the bus over an hour on rough country roads. They return home to few, if any, positive activities. Activities happen at the center when volunteer help is available. 50 students came to the Back to School Splash Party. It didn’t make sense to see teenage boys so excited to be in wading pools and water sprinklers, but they would not have those in the apartments. There are no pools or natural swimming areas near Elaine.
2. The second goal was an obvious need but had no direction to go until 2013.The economy of the town has been declining for decades and was hastened with the closing of the school.
Once there was a movie theater and 5 grocery stores. Now there are no grocery stores or even a place to rent a movie.
Wonderful old buildings are used but more have come down or are desperate need of renovation.Just driving through town is discouraging.
Looking for a project for both teenage boys and girls, birdhouses were suggested.The idea grew to brightening the town with birdhouses.Then it was discovered that there is no birdhouse capital of America.Not all displayed, but there are over 600 birdhouses.At our new Birdhouse Festival on October1, 2016, at 1:00 there should be 1000 birdhouses in the 100 block of Main Street for a Guinness Book of World Records Challenge.
3. There are no pictures yet for this goal that is becoming a significant part of the Lee Street Community Center program.
It is not well known that one of our country’s worst racial conflicts occurred in Elaine, beginning September 30, 1919.
It is likely national attention will be directed toward this town in the next four years.The goal is to make a positive situation today from a regrettable past. No one alive made any of the decisions or participated in the violence a hundred years ago.
The Birdhouse Headquarters on Main Street has a yard where an old building once stood.A recognition garden is planned using the theme: Regret for the Past, Hope for the Future1919 – 2019.Plans include building a short wall of old bricks, one for each death and one of new bricks, each with the name of a child under eighteen currently living in Elaine.
As planning proceeds funds will be sought for purchasing outdoor musical instruments to be placed in our park. They can be used by children and adults.They are expensive but worth the cost to give Elaine residents an opportunity not available anywhere in the area.
Birdhouses and musical instruments cannot change the past but can bring hope for the future.
Lee Street community CenterPO Box 235 Elaine, AR 72704
Birdhouse Headquarters located at 112 Main Street
phone 870-827-6800 or contact Pat Kienzle 479-871-0076 picklelady@cox.net birdhousesforelainear.com
This nonprofit is in Elaine, Arkansas. Phillips County is one of the poorest in our country. It is part of TOGETHER FOR HOPE, a commitment by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to work in the 20 poorest counties for 20 years, starting in 2001.
There are now three main goals of the Lee Street Community Center.
1. The nonprofit started in an old, portable school building that had been donated and moved from Helena to the the poorest part of Elaine. Since the schools were closed, students ride the bus over an hour on rough country roads. They return home to few, if any, positive activities. Activities happen at the center when volunteer help is available. 50 students came to the Back to School Splash Party. It didn’t make sense to see teenage boys so excited to be in wading pools and water sprinklers, but they would not have those in the apartments. There are no pools or natural swimming areas near Elaine.
2. The second goal was an obvious need but had no direction to go until 2013.The economy of the town has been declining for decades and was hastened with the closing of the school.
Once there was a movie theater and 5 grocery stores. Now there are no grocery stores or even a place to rent a movie.
Wonderful old buildings are used but more have come down or are desperate need of renovation.Just driving through town is discouraging.
Looking for a project for both teenage boys and girls, birdhouses were suggested.The idea grew to brightening the town with birdhouses.Then it was discovered that there is no birdhouse capital of America.Not all displayed, but there are over 600 birdhouses.At our new Birdhouse Festival on October1, 2016, at 1:00 there should be 1000 birdhouses in the 100 block of Main Street for a Guinness Book of World Records Challenge.
3. There are no pictures yet for this goal that is becoming a significant part of the Lee Street Community Center program.
It is not well known that one of our country’s worst racial conflicts occurred in Elaine, beginning September 30, 1919.
It is likely national attention will be directed toward this town in the next four years.The goal is to make a positive situation today from a regrettable past. No one alive made any of the decisions or participated in the violence a hundred years ago.
The Birdhouse Headquarters on Main Street has a yard where an old building once stood.A recognition garden is planned using the theme: Regret for the Past, Hope for the Future1919 – 2019.Plans include building a short wall of old bricks, one for each death and one of new bricks, each with the name of a child under eighteen currently living in Elaine.
As planning proceeds funds will be sought for purchasing outdoor musical instruments to be placed in our park. They can be used by children and adults.They are expensive but worth the cost to give Elaine residents an opportunity not available anywhere in the area.
Birdhouses and musical instruments cannot change the past but can bring hope for the future.
Lee Street community CenterPO Box 235 Elaine, AR 72704
Birdhouse Headquarters located at 112 Main Street
phone 870-827-6800 or contact Pat Kienzle 479-871-0076 picklelady@cox.net birdhousesforelainear.com
Always a request for Kool-aid pickles!
