SPECIAL TO THE SIGNAL

Lowndes District Judge Adrian Johnson, Rev. Benny Stanford of the Bethlehem Christian Church, Mel Brackman of Lutheran Ministries of Alabama and other supporters recently made sure that Fort Deposit students in grades K-11 were able to participate in the month long E.N.R.I.C.H./Winners Walk Tall camp.

On average, more than 40 students in elementary grades through high school attended the half day E.N.R.I.C.H. camp held daily at the Fort Deposit church. Ursula Goldsmith headed the camp staff that included experienced educators Margie Harrison, Brenda Phiffer and volunteers Quintero Caldwell, Kimberly Mushatt and Myron Searight.

The Fort Deposit E.N.R.I.C.H. camp activities help Fort Deposit elementary students academically and socially. At the core of daily instruction is the teaching of character principles.

Winners Walk Tall, the Ohio developed character development curriculum, is used in Fort Deposit as in other E.N.R.I.C.H. camps throughout the Black Belt and in Montgomery.

The Fort Deposit children learned the importance of understanding good character principles including respect, responsibility, honesty, good citizenship, hard work and etiquette. E.N.R.I.C.H. campers learned about the importance of proper dress when visiting special places. The young ladies wore dresses and the young men wore ties when participating in the outings.

E.N.R.I.C.H. campers learn to research on the web. Fort Deposit children researched special places that were then visited on Fridays.

At the E.N.R.I.C.H. closing ceremony on July 15, the campers reported on their visits to the Fort Deposit Public Library, to Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge, to Montgomery’s Old Alabama Town, to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Moo Museum and to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

The 2011 Fort Deposit E.N.R.I.C.H. supporters include Judge Adrian Johnson’s Lowndes County Partnership for Children, the Lowndes County Juvenile Trust Fund, Alabama Power, Nan and Ronnie Barganier, Pete Taylor/Standard Roofing, Mary Anne Martin/the Alabama Character Initiative, the Bethlehem Christian Church team, Mel Brackman/Lutheran Ministries of Alabama and Montgomery’s Episcopal Church of the Ascension.

Since 1992, Lutheran Ministries of Alabama, a statewide community based nonprofit, has provided academic curriculum and character building materials for E.N.R.I.C.H. camps.

Partnerships are developed in communities where caring stakeholders are willing to help provide space and resources for the month long summer half day activities. E.N.R.I.C.H. camps are intentionally located in communities where many other camping opportunities are not available for children who live in poverty.

Additionally, this summer, Judge Adrian Johnson encouraged E.N.R.I.C.H. activities at the Boys and Girls Club of Hayneville. Lutheran Ministries of Alabama partnered in Hayneville.

Judge Johnson said,” It takes real team work to meet the needs of Lowndes children and families. Thanks to the efforts of Rev. Benny Stanford, Mel Brackman of Lutheran Ministries of Alabama, committed community volunteers and support of friends of Lowndes County, Fort Deposit children participated in successful Lowndes E.N.R.I.C.H. summer programs.”