Saturday, October 15, 2016
By LINDA M. LINONIS
LIBERTY
The adage “better safe than sorry” applied to Safety Day for Kids at Church Hill United Methodist Church.
Sharon Wathen, coordinator, said the community outreach event resulted from a brainstorming session at the church. The activity was Friday, when school wasn’t in session because of North Eastern Ohio Education Association Day.
Wathen said Safety Day provided a fun learning experience for children in kindergarten through fourth grade from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., ending in lunch, and an activity to fill part of the day for working parents.
The 40-year church member said this is the third such event sponsored by the church, which has a backpack program at E.J. Blott Elementary School. The church also is involved in Blott Kids Holiday Program and provides clothing, toys, games and books to children in need. Wathen added that the church also just started Liberty Community Food Pantry on the first Friday of the month.
Safety Day topics were auto, golf, tool and infant/toddler. “Every year we have a different sport,” Wathen said. The goal of the day is to impart safety tips to children. Though they won’t remember them all, the experience is beneficial, she said.
The event attracted 27 children. Volunteers from the church and community numbered 12 youths and 30 adults. Children were grouped according to age, then rotated among the four safety stations. Each child received a tote bag with handouts on the four topics and some goodies.
Barb Gulgas was among adult volunteers for golf. She said the emphasis was “being aware of your surroundings” when preparing to hit the ball or being a spectator. She said the tips apply to miniature and regular golf.
In the tool-safety room, church member Dale Bernardi said he and fellow volunteers relayed that tools aren’t toys. He noted children wore safety glasses and hard hats. “We give them some experience on handling a tool,” he said.
Madison Anthony, 8, a second-grader at Hubbard Elementary School, said she liked learning about using a drill. “It was fun,” she said.
Children also used hammers to pound nails, learned the names of different screws and how to use them.
In infant and toddler safety, topics concerning toys, poison prevention and emergency situations were addressed. Stephanie Dougherty, a church member, Austintown teacher and mother of two boys, 21 and 3 months, led the session.
One emphasis was calling 911 in an emergency. Dougherty had younger children practice pressing number buttons on a house phone. Though some cellphones have passwords, Dougherty showed children where to press emergency, which requires no password.
“You don’t call to play,” Dougherty told children. She talked with them about giving their name, address and what the emergency was, citing examples such as “my mom fell down the steps.” Speaking slowly and clearly also was emphasized.
At the auto-safety site, Jackie Cowles, a nurse with Akron Children’s Hospital, talked with children about using seat belts, booster seats for those from 40 to 110 pounds and convertible seats for younger children from 20 to 60 pounds. She also noted children must be 13 to ride in the front seat.
Children also were shown where the emergency release in the trunk was located. Liberty Police Department also participated. Alexander Smith, a church member and sound technician, went over meanings of street signs that were displayed.
Amber Schimpf, 12, and Brooklyn Youngblood, 11, were youth volunteers. Both said they liked helping younger kids learn new things.