Healing the Wounds of The Past
Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. As such, early experiences are an important public health issue. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) survey puts a numeric score on the collective negative experience, with the number escalating according to the amount of trauma. Our staff administers this survey to our Patch Parents, and recently asked the Board of Directors to take it…
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Yes, You Can!
On a recent evening at The Patch, one of our Board members was volunteering in the performing arts department when a child approached her with a puppet. The Board member asked the puppet what he liked to do, who his friends were and other questions. It soon became evident that this shy child was telling her story through the puppet, and the Board member felt honored that the little girl would share with her this…
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The Patch’s New Groove!
Music is a fun and functional part of education! For instance, music and math are related. If children understand beats and rhythms, they are practicing counting, dividing and recognizing patterns. Music can also introduce children to different cultures or create connections within the world of media and performing arts. The Patch was fortunate to welcome a brass trio from the Louisville Orchestra just a few weeks before Christmas, and their performance was quite a treat…
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Facing Poverty with Hope and Solutions
This fall, several Cabbage Patch staff members participated in the Metro United Way Poverty Simulation, in order to better understand the challenges faced by our clients. Just imagine if you tried to pawn your possessions to pay for food, only to find that the pawn shop doesn’t want them. Or consider what it would be like to pay bills if you had no Internet access. These are just a few of the scenarios that are very real for those who inspired the simulation.
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The Perfect Gift, and the Perfect Opportunity to Give
It seems like every year, we find ourselves asking the same question around the holidays: What do we get for the person who has everything?” The answer may well be found at the Temptations Holiday Boutique! More than twenty years ago, a group of women with small businesses organized an annual holiday boutique which has grown into a highly anticipated, well attended show. Today, Temptations Holiday Boutique offers a sophisticated and enjoyable shopping experience at the stately Olmsted on Frankfort Avenue.
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Saving Energy, Empowering Families with Project Warm!
During October, the Patch Parents meeting focused on winterizing the home with Project Warm. One of Project Warm’s staff members conducted a workshop that illustrated how the parents can keep heat inside and reduce their utility bills. Our group learned how foam rope, plastic, tape and other supplies can seal off drafts. Participants received all the supplies they needed to take charge of their energy conservation!
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UK: The University for Kentucky
The Cabbage Patch, through a wonderful partnership with UK, will have 14 students in The Patch’s College Scholars Program enrolled at the prestigious university this fall. We work closely with UK to assure that students graduate debt free and start their careers without financial burdens. With these new additions, the College Scholars Program has 36 at-risk youth enrolled in college across the state.
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Paging Future Doctors…Science Camp at The Patch!
At the University of Louisville’s School of Medicine, Cabbage Patch science campers leaned close to a hospital bed to inspect a very realistic medical simulation robot.
“My chest hurts!” Suddenly the robot seemed to spring to life, but he wasn’t feeling well! Campers jumped back in surprise, and nervous laughter ensued. Once they composed themselves, they began to ask the “patient” about his symptoms with rehearsed questions they had learned in an earlier session.
“What kind of pain is it?” asked one camper. “Can you rate your pain on a scale of 1-10?” asked another. Medical student Samantha Sears produced a stethoscope and the children explored the situation further. The kids also saw that the “patient’s” fingers and toes were blue (there were blue LEDs inside the robot’s fingers and toes).
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The Art of Flavor: Lessons From Young Chefs’ Camp!
Supporters like Harvest Moon Farm, The Crane House, Louvino, Oxmoor Farm and Seviche (some of our Young Chefs’ Camp partners) make education a community-driven experience for the children served by The Cabbage Patch! Thank you for your generosity, which assures that all children have access to summer camp.
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I Spy Learning Opportunities!
One morning at the Cabbage Patch, the children of Spy Camp infiltrated the administrative offices. They had some questions for Emma Gonna Planitall, a secret agent who specializes in event planning.
“What is your shoe size?” asked one camper as he peered at his agent dossier. He and his fellow spies were trying to find the double agent in our midst who had stolen their spy graduate certificates. Without them, they could not go on to advanced training! They were intrigued by a footprint they had found outside…
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