Blog

From Ice Cream to Art

Despite – or, perhaps, thanks to - these steamy August days, children served by Catholic Charities affiliated agencies are having a blast! From toddlers to teens, from able bodied to those with challenges and from Staten Island all the way up to Sullivan County, children are learning, growing and, bottom line, celebrating the summer.

Here are some highlights:

I Scream. You Scream. We all scream for ice cream!

Children with special needs served by Astor Services, a Catholic Charities affiliate in the Bronx and Rhinebeck, cooled off with chocolate bars, sprinkled vanilla cones and more thanks to one of their sponsors, Enterprise car rental service.

Astor provides behavioral health and educational services offering children with special needs the opportunity to meet life's challenges, pursue their dreams, and reach their full potential.

Enterprise hosted their Annual Ice Cream Truck event on July 21st at Astor’s upstate Rhinebeck Campus. This event has grown into one of the highlights of the summer for students and faculty who gather outside to enjoy these sweet treats that help them beat the summer heat.

As the ice cream truck pulled on to the campus happily singing its jolly runes, students were all a chatter trying to decide which ice cream  to choose.  So many choices!

After students made their selections they sat with their friends and enjoyed the beautiful summer day.

We thank Enterprise for their continued support and kindness towards the children we serve!

Welcome to Casita Maria’s Summer Camp 2017!

Casita Maria offers educational and arts enrichment summer camps to hundreds of children from the South Bronx community thanks to funding from the Division of Youth and Community Development and fellow supporters. Separate summer camps for elementary and middle school offer children fun alternatives to staying home all day watching TV or hanging out on hot city streets.  Instead these summer camps introduce children to a wide array of cultural, educational and recreational activities that are designed to stimulate, engage, and entertain.

Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education empowers youth and their families by creating a  culture of learning through high quality social, cultural, and education opportunities, giving children, many from Latino families recently arrived in the U.S., the educational support they need to thrive. 

The camps, managed by Casita Maria’s team of trained professionals, expose campers to artistic, fun educational events that build academic skills, and foster personal and social development.     

Too many children spend summer days in empty apartments or are attracted by the lure of the streets. At Catholic Charities we offer an alternative: safe, high-quality programs staffed by motivated professionals and volunteers. Our programs help children pursue their strengths through academic support, sports, recreation, arts and cultural experiences.

Find a Catholic Charities program for youth.