Fun with Magnolia Health

“HI MAGGIE!” The sound of our kids all shouting in unison bounced all over the gym at Rowan School, the site of our afterschool program, as they greeted Maggie, the Magnolia Health mascot. The excitement in the room was palpable. For the past three years, Magnolia Health has partnered with Operation Shoestring to provide a variety of services and support to our children and families.

From giving out backpacks of supplies and speaking at parent engagement meetings to creating a fun day with all kinds of stations all centered around health, Magnolia works hard to provide great healthcare learning opportunities to underserved communities.

For afterschool programs like ours to thrive, it’s so important for us to develop robust and meaningful partnerships with community organizations and stakeholders. “Not surprisingly, programs that are supported by strong and diverse community partnerships are more likely to sustain themselves over the long term,” according to Laura Martinez of the Finance Project, a group conducting research on out of school time programs. These partnerships are vital to capacity building, organizational growth, and proper child development.

In order for Operation Shoestring’s Project Rise afterschool program to continue growing and serving more of the children and families in our community, it’s imperative that we strategically engage more community partners like Magnolia Health and others who clearly demonstrate they’re committed to the kids and families we serve.  This effective collaboration of efforts in support of kids, families and community is what yields the best outcomes–for everyone