A space reimagined The children who attend UMADAOP services might have a past littered with abuse and neglect, or a learning disability. UMADAOP engages youth in prevention through a variety of strategies. In the evenings, kids in the community outreach center practice Tae Kwon Do. “It’s prevention because it has the ability to reduce the risk of diabetes, or heart disease — all because they’re moving,”Davis says. The Tae Kwon Do program isn’t a liated with any schools in the area, Davis says. It’s an activity that UMADAOP o ers for the community. “We tried to think outside the box, outside of board games, to provide prevention in a di erent way,” Davis says. Recently, Davis says 10 of those kids participated in the Amateur Athletic Union’s State Tae Kwon Do Championship. Of those 10, ve won a medal. Two were awarded gold. The Mans eld UMADAOP is gearing up to provide more services. This summer, Baker says the Mans eld UMADAOP expects to o er a summer camp for approximately 150 kids. Overall, 65 kids participate in the Tae Kwon Do program at the Mans eld UMADAOP, Davis says.
Early this year, the Mans eld UMADAOP celebrated the ribbon cutting of a new community outreach center. Youth Development Coordinator Benjamin Davis says he remembers feeling a big sense of relief at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “We purchased the building in December 2014,” Davis says. “Just over a year later, we had the ribbon cutting.” In an earlier life, the facility functioned as a school. Now, the Mans eld UMADAOP will use the space to hold activities for kids, such as summer camp. Dennis Baker, executive director at the Mans eld UMADAOP, emphasizes how the UMADAOP has always worked to serve kids. Still, the new facility provides something di erent. “It’s an opportunity to separate kids from our main facility,” Baker says. “They have di erent challenges, so we thought it was best not to have them in the same facility that treats addicts.”
The summer camp is set to be held in the new community outreach center.
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