Let the children play

By TORY DENIS
[email protected]
CLAREMONT — Six students with the Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center were outdoors this week, under supervision of center instructor Pete Ferland, helping to build a new deck play space for the children at One-4-All Drop in Family Space and Teen Homework Space.

“We do as many community service projects as we can,” Ferland said.  

Helping with the deck project were center students Devon Carter, Logan Heino, Cameron Pond, Ethan Simino, Ricky Richardson and Ty Berry, with Ferland supervising.

The second-year students are donating their time while also learning to deck as part of their Building Construction II class.

The family center at 169 Main St. needed to pay for building material, but the labor is all being completed by the students.

Cathy Pellerin, director of One-4-All, said on Wednesday that the total project cost for the outside deck play space is about $7,500, which has all been obtained through grant funding.

The mission of the One-4-All Family Space is “to improve the lives of the children in Claremont by providing access to a free, inclusive age appropriate environment that gives them the opportunity to play, learn and develop critical social emotional skills while also providing families with parenting skills through mentoring and classes as well as referrals to essential resources and  access to free clothing and school supplies,” according to the organization’s website.