Ames After Hours

The school bell rings signaling the end of the school day. The doors fly open and out rush hundreds of children bursting with energy. Some head off to soccer. Some to music lessons. But for over 300,000 children in Minnesota the doors open to no after school activities. They are completely responsible for themselves. This unstructured time is not only unproductive, but dangerous.

Opportunity Neighborhood provides a safe place for children at Ames Lake Neighborhood, an affordable housing complex on St. Paul’s Eastside. Called Ames After Hours, the program is full of structured and enriching activities – crafts, scouting, ballet, art, healthy eating, tennis and field trips.

Before Ames After Hours, children had few options for quality activities. Crime in neighboring communities created an unsafe environment restricting children to the property and families had little money to pay program fees.

Ames After Hours solved the barriers of safety and cost by providing Ames After Hours directly onsite in the community center free of charge.

But most importantly, the children we serve have a place to go. When asked what she would do if there was no Ames After Hours, Dinie said, “I would probably be at home crying cuz I’d have nothing to do. Coming here means a lot to me. I get to do fun activities and meet new people.”

Please help us continue to provide a safe and positive place for children to go after school at Ames Lake Neighborhood.