By Amelia
The
intention of this blog is of course to keep our Mariposa Community
updated on all of our activities, it will have to become part of our
practice to keep it timely. At this juncture, this post will be more of a
reflection on what we have done over the last couple of months, but we
hope to update it weekly in the new year. We are also looking forward to
having our young Mariposas be contributing writers.
So much has happened over the last couple of months I am a little overwhelmed at where to start.
I
guess the change that started it all was the move to the James Rolph
Clubhouse and the partnership between myself and Conrad and Bryan.
The
"New Spot" doesn't feel so new anymore. It is starting to feel like a
good Mariposa home. Hat's off to the hard work of Bryan and Conrad who
secured this building. Their work negotiating with SF Parks and
Recreation took months, and none of the many awesome things that have
happened at our new local would be possible without them. Beyond
securing the spot these two gentlemen have brought a great deal of
professionalism and inspiration to our after school world. For The
Mariposa Kids Project to grow and stay true to its mission it need the
awesomeness of these guys! Their respect and love for the kids and their
time with them is clear and that is the essence of Mariposa Kids.
At
Rolph we have been able to spread our wings, pop some ollies and play
tennis. Everyday our presence is becoming more and more felt in the
neighborhood. A good healthy dose of Mariposa! There
are of course still some hick-ups with the site, but there is nothing
like a crew of SF city kids to navigate some funny stuff that happens in
a world full of inequity. For those who are maybe reading this but do
not know about our site, this spot, though infused with 3.8 million
dollars in 2008 to upgrade it, has remained a hang out/ drinking spot
for a large number of transient folks. The park has a baseball diamond,
two tennis courts, a basketball court, an awesome playground, and a
large multi-purpose building. It is in a neighborhood full of kids and
could be... should be...is becoming a great kid environment. Thanks to
our smart city kids for keeping an eye out and being both compassionate
and safety consious. Thank you to Officer Glen and all of the officers
who have peacefully supported our effort to create a safe kid friendly
environment for this cities youth to utilize after school. Thank you to
the parents who have gotten on the horn with local officials about
support our efforts. We are learning to operate within our new
environment and though there are still some changes to be made, like I
said it is starting to feel like home.
The biggest thing: We need to get the Zombie/ Death Gates up on the Windows!
The
cool site has allowed us to grow, and every year that Mariposa kids
grows, which has been every year, I am always astounded at how cool all
of our kids and families are. Our new Mariposas have flowed into our
group with ease and I can't imagine our afternoons without them.
One
of the coolest things for me these last few month is having my baby
with me at work. It has been amazing to watch Daniel, my son, slowly
become aware of his surroundings only to be greeted by so many smiling
and screaming kids. Lately Daniel has been venturing from the safety of
the ergo to join in the fun. It has been cool to see the kiddos develop
their own friendships with him, and there is something to be said for
the power of many ages in one space. It turns out a lot of our Mariposa
Kids are natural born leaders/ care takers and teachers. Daniel is
lucky, as am I, to have them in our lives.
Huzzah! To a great fall of 2012! This Mariposa is looking forward to next year!
