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July 17, 2007 | TBO.com
Free Program Is All About Kids
UNIVERSITY AREA - Without leaving the air-conditioned
apartment building, Erika Perez recently
took nine children on a camping trip.
Perez,
a volunteer with It's All About Kids, did
so through the world of books, creative decorating
and imagination.
Along the way, she sought to instill some
life lessons in the children at Carlisle
Lakes Apartments, where the nonprofit organization
offers the free Thursday afternoon Story
Time Literacy Program for children in kindergarten
through sixth grade.
While Perez read "Diggity Dog: Let's
Go Camping" on July 5, the children
sat in a tent, gazed at a mock campfire made
from tissue paper and guessed what she had
packed in her backpack.
In addition to reading, Perez and other
volunteers talked about preparing for camping
and working in teams as a parallel to life,
in which students should learn to read, get
a good education and work with other people.
She focused on campers' need to avoid dangerous
animals and hazards in the outdoors, as in
life one should avoid unhealthy or illegal
habits.
It's All About Kids Executive Director Wanda
DeLaRosa said that each month the literacy
program has a different book and different
theme. Through each, the volunteers try to
connect the book to life.
They also offer a craft project that matches
the theme. With camping, they made backpacks
the first week.
"We focus on things like friendship,
respecting the environment and being team
players," DeLaRosa said.
It's All About Kids was founded seven years
ago by DeLaRosa and her husband, Larry. Both
are pastors with Breakthrough Worship Church,
which also holds services for children at
Carlisle Lakes Apartments. The complex provides
two apartments and the electricity at no
charge for the children's programs.
It's All About Kids, an all-volunteer organization,
previously operated in several low-income
locations, including east Tampa, Sulphur
Springs and the University Area in the Asbury
Apartments, which is now Arlington Chase.
(The agency lost its place when Asbury was
sold.)
"We have stayed in this community because
this is where God brought us to," DeLaRosa
said. "We are passionate about children.
We need to teach our children, reach out
to them, so they can be better citizens."
That's why Perez, a 30-year-old University
of South Florida graduate who will start
the master's program in library science in
the fall semester, said she donates her time
to the program.
"What saddens me is in this community,
they underestimate how smart they [the children]
are," said Perez, who grew up in the
University Area. "I want to challenge
them. They really want to learn."
Janet Orr, 10, said she liked reading books
already. Her favorites are those about animals
and traveling. She comes to the weekly programs
because "They are really nice people,
and we get to make stuff."
Daphne Cadet, 7, agreed. She said, "We
get to come and do fun stuff."
DeLaRosa said the agency operates mainly
on donations, partnerships and small grants,
often from businesses. This year, the Children's
Board of Hillsborough County awarded it a
technical assistance grant for equipment.
The agency also held its first fundraising
banquet in the spring. She has a goal to
hire staff and replicate the Carlisle Lakes
program in other communities.
The agency also sponsors an Etiquette and
Manners class Tuesday evenings in which students
in kindergarten through 12th grade learn
grooming, dressing in proper attire, table
manners, phone manners and other social skills.
At the end of the course, DeLaRosa plans
to take them to dinner at a restaurant.
"There they will practice the etiquette
they have learned: pulling the chair out,
putting the napkin in their laps, cutting
the food and the proper conversation," she
said.
"A lot of the children don't realize
there are topics for the table and topics
for the playground."
As for the "campers" in the literacy
program, they will celebrate the end of their
course with s'mores - made with a 5-pound
Hershey bar donated to the program.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: It's All About Kids
WHERE: Carlisle Lakes
Apartments, 12520 Tinsley Circle
WHEN: Etiquette
and Manners from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Story
Time Literacy Program from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursdays
HOW
MUCH: Free
INFORMATION: Call (813) 269-4402
or visit www.itsallaboutkids.org.
Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached
at (813) 865-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.
