Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center Raising Funds To Help Feed Center Families And Continue Virtual Learning

The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center (BHCCRC) is ramping up its efforts to assist the families it serves.

“We are just beginning week four of school closures and The Center’s Call to Action for our kids and families. As you know, the families we serve are economically fragile. Over half our families have lost income,” Bonnie Michelle Cannon, The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center Executive Director, relayed.

The Center has established an Emergency Fund to further aid Center families in need. BCCRC estimates $300 will feed a family of four for one week, $500 provides certified individual online tutoring, and $1,000 can provide a family with their own computer.

While The Center has had a food pantry for many years, in the past it typically was only used once a month. As the demand has skyrocketed, BHCCRC’s food pantry is now providing weekly aid. “Our food pantry is operating smoothly and serving our families twice a week,” Cannon noted. “This past week we were able to provide food for 25 families, which is 82 individuals. The families have been very grateful for the help in this difficult time.”

The Center continues to provide enriching programming for After-Schoolers four days a week. The online options include homework help, learning games, an emphasis on math and reading and the re-launch of the Scrabble Club. “Thirty of our After-School kids are now participating in our online learning. Only ten were connected the first week,” Cannon shared. “All but one now have a computer on loan at home, and we have only a few more homes in need of internet. Thank you, Altice and Bridgehampton School District.”

“With our kids connected and food being supplied to our families, I was able to individually connect with our teens, their families and our college students to assess their needs. Eleven families need food,” Cannon noted. “This includes 56 individuals. 22 have lost income, some households all their income.”

The Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center was established “out of tragedy in 1949 when a migrant camp fire killed two children of seasonal farm workers.” The not-for-profit serves the East End community, with a focus on the lower income African-American and growing Latino community. Its mission is to “deliver the highest quality educational and recreational programs to local children, youth and their families.” BHCCRC’s programming encompasses a plethora of topics of interest, including a Scrabble Club – six of its members competed in the National Scrabble Championship their first year and took home 1st place prizes, a Chess Club, dance class, summer camp, music programs, homework help, culinary arts workshops, karate, collaborations with the Parrish Art Museum and other cultural institutions, college prep, SAT/ACT classes and more.

For more information about The Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center, visit www.bhccrc.org. To donate to The Center’s Emergency Fund, visit www.paypal.com.