A Dynamic Dad

Among the parade of parents you see picking up kids from our Project Rise program, you’ll find Mario Evans. Mario is one of our most dedicated dads who truly invests in the success of his children. He can be found engaged in parent meetings, school activities, and even Operation Shoestring events.

Talking with Mario, you’ll see why as a concerned father he has his daughter, Justice, enrolled in the program. “People should know that Operation Shoestring is a group of people who care about kids and who want to see the neighborhood do better. And they’ve been doing that for 50 years,” he said.

Justice, a rising sixth grader, has been enrolled in the program since first grade. Mario wishes we had a middle school program. “The staff really try to do their best for the kids. I have seen a difference in the way Justice rises above anything negative kids may say about her and she has made the honor roll a few times while in the program,” he explained.

In addition to the impact Operation Shoestring has had on Justice, Mario appreciates the peace of mind the program provides working parents like him. He said, “When you have two working parents, it is great to send your kids to a program where you know they are safe and the teachers will help them understand their school work. They also have a summer camp where they help with summer reading which is another great thing.”

Afterschool programs are charged with the awesome responsibility of creating safe spaces for children to flourish and grow. As a result, parents are able to work to provide for their families without worrying about what their children are doing during after school hours. Knowing our work can alleviating some of our parents’ stress is a significant reason why we do this work.

We appreciate our amazing dads, like Mario. Without our parents’ support and trust, our work – building an environment for high-quality learning – wouldn’t be possible.