The purpose of Club Umoja Parties is to provide a monthly event for the children from Baltimore Housing developments that give them both a safe and healthy environment unlike the ones they are used to. These parties will further relationships made during Camp Umoja throughout the school year. It is Club Umoja’s hope that through these parties, the children will build relationships with high schoolers who they can look up to as role models.
In order to further the relationships between NDP students and the children from Club Umoja, a party is held one Saturday of each month. These parties are specifically for the children who attended Session One of Camp Umoja. The parties are about three hours long. The children participate in games, crafts, swimming, and also eat a lunch provided by the volunteers. The parties for the most part take place in the Sister Helen Marie Duffy Center and gymnasium. The goal of the parties is to create a safe environment for the kids to be comfortable with and have fun. About 30-40 children from the Baltimore housing developments attend the Club Umoja Parties. They travel on buses paid for by a very generous donation by the SSNDs. In general, counselors meet kids from all different backgrounds and learn about these kids experiences. The kids build relationships with their counselors and learn about respect and friendship. Girls in any grade of the upper level are allowed to volunteer at the parties.
