LCF HOPE II After School Program

Thanks to grants from organizations like the Greater Lynchburg Community Trust, Boston Capital, and private donors, LCF has provided the HOPE II After School Program at no cost to children and their families for twenty years.

The LCF HOPE II After School Program is designed to offer encouragement to our HOPE II children by challenging them to get better grades, to learn to love reading, and to expand their horizons. The current age of children in the program is five years old and up. Children from Lynchburg High Apartments, College Hill Apartments, and the surrounding neighborhood attend the program which is held in the gymnasium at Lynchburg High Apartments at 1301 Park Avenue. We offer the children a safe place to come after school and an opportunity to complete their homework assignments with tutoring and mentoring from volunteers in the community. Children’s grades are monitored, and rewards are given for ‘honor roll’ status. After homework is completed, children participate in educational and team games. Speakers present programs to inspire the youth to improve their lives and give back to the community. Some of the programs have addressed bullying, acceptance of their classmates, working together as a group, and respecting themselves and others. The Hillcats mascot and a couple of players came for a visit followed by a field trip to a Hillcats game.

The children are taught simple ways to prepare healthy snacks and alternative healthy choices, and are given healthy snacks at each meeting. We are thankful for our volunteers who assist each week with the program, some who are residents of our housing and are also students from area colleges.

Past years programs have included having the children enjoy a variety of activities, such as attending plays at E.C. Glass High School and performances at the Academy of Fine Arts. Other outings included Halloween parties and trips to the dollar theater during winter break. The youth have also enjoyed trips to Amazement Square followed by a party in the gym to celebrate the end of the school year.