“We had a fantastic group this year. All the kids were really wonderful. Our leaders were great this year. So overall, I think it was a very productive and amazing year for everybody,” Washington-Allen said.

“The staff that we have this year, they're very qualified, so it's encouraging to have a lot of yearly returners coming back and being leaders again for consecutive years, building relationships and bonds with everybody,” said Julia Washington-Allen, Summer Playground Coordinator. “It's also very important to us that we hire individuals who work with children throughout the year, so having teachers who are qualified to teach and to interact with these children and be positive influences is something that we strive for every year.”