Warriors had another fun-filled After Opps session in Spring 1!

Mondays:

Gala Spotlight Moment group worked on their performance for the 2018 Night for Opportunities Gala. Warriors brought the house down with their rendition of the Cha-Cha Slide and music video! Media coverage of the event coming soon.

The Tea Time group went to tea shops and markets around the community and sampled a variety of different teas. Thank you to Todd & Holland Tea Company, Sugar Beet Co-Op, and Whole Foods for letting us come visit!

The Basketball group worked on their game with drills, slam dunk contests, and scrimmages. Thanks so much to the players from Oak Park-River Forest High School and Made Men Basketball who came out and practiced with us!

 

 

Wednesday:

Warriors in Around Town visited a variety of local sites of interest in our community including Dominican University and the Frank Lloyd Wright homes. Warriors in Gala Glam got “cleaned up good” in preparation for the OK Gala, trying out various hairstyles, make-up, nail polish, and other self-care and hygiene items.

In Community Opps this session, Warriors continued to support Sarah’s Inn, a local nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive services for families affected by domestic violence so that they get the support they need to find safety, rebuild their lives, and heal. Warriors have been hosting an ongoing item drive for Sarah’s Inn at the River Forest Community Center. We will be accepting donations of the following items at the RFCC front desk until May 22nd:

  • Non-perishable food items
  • Full sized dental hygiene items
  • Gift cards in denominations of $15-$25
  • New winter accessories
  • New clothing items
  • School supplies
  • Unopened full sized personal care and toiletry items
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Unopened diapers and wipes
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Paper products

Fridays:

Our Friday hobby groups had something for everybody. The cooking group’s theme this session was Taco Fridays and we enjoyed many tasty tacos ranging from pulled pork to squash and more. Warriors in the Peer-Led group planned some awesome programs to lead next session including Pictures of the Sky (Photography), Schoolyard Sports, How to be Good and Evil, and Community Opps. Warriors in the Game Show group played some classic game shows with a Warrior spin, including Fear Factor, Family Feud, OK Jeopardy, and more!

Warriors in the Farming group have kicked off the growing season on the OK Farm! They planted a wide variety of veggies including cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, leeks, onions, garlic, lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, bak choy, kale, beets, and a variety of flowers. Once the weather is consistently warm the Warriors will start planting cucumbers for our Knock-Out Pickles! “I’m most excited about planting carrots and tomatoes”, said Jackie Finn. They also visited the Dominican University greenhouse, learned about their new hydroponics system and helped harvest some lettuce!

Warrior Quotes:

“My favorite activity was putting on makeup in Gala Glam. We had nice nail polish, lipstick, eye shadow, and blush. I also liked making crafts.”  – Jenna R

“I liked cooking! I love tacos. I really liked the sweet potato ones.” – Alli W

“MY FAVORITE WAS BASKETBALL. I LIKED HANGING OUT WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS.” – PATRICK O

“I liked Community Opps and doing the food drive for Sarah’s Inn. I like helping my community.” – Jack B.

“I liked the game show. I liked playing lots of different games and meeting a lot of new people.” – Nick S.

“My favorite program was farming. We watered flowers and planted seeds. We also went to the greenhouse at the college. It was fun.” – Katrina J.

GET IN ON THE ACTION

Thanks for a great Spring 1 session, Warriors! We are looking forward to much more fun in Spring 2 with Bikes and Trikes, Preserving, Farming, Peer Led (Community Opps, Schoolyard Sports, Photography, How to be Good and Evil), Outdoor Adventures, Celebrity Community Chef, and Team Sports.

Please contact Mike Carmody (mike@opportunityknocksnow.org) with any inquiries about the After Opps program.