Kids get free health care, food, clothing from group

Steve Distler entertains children at Martinez Elementary School with a balloon act during a July 25 birthday party organized by the Communities in Schools program. The group holds the events monthly at area schools to help students celebrate their birthdays.Jenna dosch/view Photos By Jenna Dosch/View Top, Lesly Bueno gets help picking out a toy at Martinez Elementary School during a Communities in Schools birthday party. Below, from left, Eduardo Burgos, 9, Desiree Vasquez, 7, and Jasmine Cabrera, also 7, watch balloon tricks during the event. Advertisement

By LAURA CARROLL

VIEW STAFF WRITER

Outreach group Communities in Schools has concerned itself with keeping Las Vegas youth enrolled in classes up through and including graduation from high school. To help achieve its mission, the organization offers free medical, dental and hygiene care to students in targeted schools, in addition to providing them with food, clothing and other services.

The program begins its work at the elementary school level and follows children up through high school. In recent years, the group has received donations for medical clinics at Martinez Elementary School, 350 Judson Ave., and Cunningham Elementary School, 4145 Jimmy Durante Blvd., and a third is on the way at Wynn Elementary School, 5655 Edna Ave. The medical clinics provide care for those children who need dental work, medical attention, mental health services or even a shower, if need be.

"At Martinez, 25 percent of the students are homeless," Louise Helton, state director of Communities in Schools for Nevada, said. "We're giving them the extra support that they need."

Helton said that 100 percent of the students at the school are indigent and qualify for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch. To help with the food crisis in the area, Communities in Schools supplies the children with nonperishable food items to take home so they can eat on weekends. For many of these children, if they are not in school, they don't eat, Helton said.

Communities in Schools holds monthly birthday parties for the children at its targeted schools, and Helton said many people ask why, when there's such a need for food, clothing and medical services.

"These kids never knew when their birthdays were," Helton said. "Most of them have never celebrated their birthday."

At the Martinez birthday parties, Junior League of Las Vegas members staff and plan the events. Students each receive a goodie bag full of candy, crayons and bracelets, in addition to having their faces painted, receiving a birthday gift and playing games. All kids get a personal cupcake complete with a candle to blow out.

For about an hour, the focus is entirely on them and their birthday, and the present they receive may be their only one.

Helton related a story about a past birthday party that a young boy attended. When he chose his gift, she found it a very odd choice. He chose a baby doll, but Helton later found out it was for his sister because she always had wanted one.

"Last year, we had a girl who was so radiant, she was a ball of sunshine the whole time," Junior League President Patti Wippel said. "You can't see that and not be touched."

At the July birthday party, the children who attended were laughing and playing, and on the surface, one would think they attended parties all the time. The reality is, for most of them, this is the only party they will attend all year.

"I feel very happy for all the stuff they did for us," party participant Eduardo Burgos said.

Penny Edinger, chairman of the birthday party committee for the Junior League, said she became involved with this project because of working at a past birthday party.

"I did a party and came home and cried," Edinger said. "Then I signed up. It's moving that the need exists in a town with this much money."

Helton said at Martinez Elementary School, there is an all-out push to get the students to think about college and future careers.

"It is my personal goal that Nevada becomes the place that people want to move to for their children's education," Helton said. "The better we do with the kids, the better we do for our community."

Communities in Schools provides year-round services to schools around Nevada and always is looking for volunteers or donations. For more information or to get involved, contact the Las Vegas office at 770-7611.