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123
C
hapter
F
our
:
‘Y
ou
S
hall
H
ave
the
P
oor
W
ith
Y
ou
A
lways
’ (1978 – 2002)
didn’t make any money, but the day care
cost us about $30,000 in expenses over
income.”
25
As new programs were being
considered, an existing one was desirous
of support. Last updated over a decade
earlier, the playground at Kingdom
House needed modernizing and repair.
The decision of 100 high school students
to build a new park with help from PRIDE,
a labor/management group became a dream
come true for Kingdom House’s Day Care
Center this spring. Located on the city’s
Near South Side, the day care center, part
of the United Methodist Kingdom House
Community Center, serves 95 preschoolers.
The students, participants in the 1990-91
Youth Leadership St. Louis program, decided
among themselves to build the park as a gift
to the community to complete their 10-month
program.
The YLSL
program, now
completing
its third year,
is intended
to enhance
community
awareness
and
leadership
skills among
young people
chosen
for their
potential
to make a
difference
in the
community
in which they
live. For
organizational help, the students approached
their leaders, including Bruce Carl, vice
president of CPI Corp. and a former
mechanical contractor; he in turn sought
assistance from St. Louis construction
industry’s PRIDE labor/management
cooperative organization. Other YLSL
leaders determined a desperate need by
Kingdom House for total refurbishment of
its 11-year-old park, which lacked facilities
suited to its growing infant population.
‘We’re very thankful for this gift’ said the
Rev. Eugene W. Morse, executive director
of Kingdom House. ‘We’ve been concerned
about our aging playground and we were
not in a financial position to do this type of
total renovation. The children will benefit
immediately from this gift.’
Built of natural materials, the new
park features play areas geared to infants,
toddlers and pre-schoolers. The infant
play area is new and toddlers will have
soft surfaces beneath their refurbished
equipment. The new pre-school lot features
balance beams, stepping blocks, crawl
tunnels and slide platform. The park shelter
has been renovated and reroofed, and
fresh red, white and blue paint adorns all
equipment.
Austin Tao, a local landscape architect,
worked with YLSL students to design the
facility. Tarlton Corp. provided overall
supervision. Two construction unions
volunteered instructors to teach and guide
the YLSL students. Tools were furnished
by Tarlton and the unions; construction
materials including railroad ties, landscape
timbers, mulch, top soil and gravel were
donated by Clayco Construction Co.
Students participating in YLSL come from
16 area high schools and the Girl Scout
Council of Greater St. Louis. Participating
high schools include: Wentzville, Lindbergh,
Ladue, John Burroughs, Normandy,
Pattonville, Rosati-Kain, Southwest, Granite
City, Bishop DuBourg, Metro, McCluer
North, Country Day, Webster Groves,
Parkway North and Central.”
26
This cooperative effort continued
the historical tradition of community
voluntary involvement and successful
programs at Kingdom House.
Also traditional was the annual
anniversary celebration, and 1992
recognized 90 years of service to the
southside area. Pulitzer Prize nominee
and St. Louis native Elaine Viets
headlined the gala celebration held
in November to commemorate the
occasion. One former neighborhood
resident wrote:
I was so pleased to hear of the 90th
Anniversary celebration coming up this
November, because this is the perfect
B
P
hoto
:
B:
Refurbished playgound
for infants, toddlers and
preschoolers
T
he
decision of
100
high
school
students
to
build
a new
park
with help
from
PRIDE,
a
labor
/
management
group
became
a
dream
come
true
for
K
ingdom
H
ouse
’
s
D
ay
C
are
C
enter
this
spring
.