Crosswalk Church provided the gifts for nearly 80 children from the "Valley View" neighborhood around the Norton Gardens after-school site. Special thanks to Cheryl and Bill Lake for coordinating the member's purchase of the gifts and helping out at the party!

Starbucks Christmas Party

Children from Norton Gardens enjoyed hot chocolate and a visit from Santa courtesy of Starbucks on Tippecanoe and their generous manager, Amanda Antonacci! They even received $10 gift cards to Target. Thanks again, Amanda and the whole Starbucks team. We're joining Starbuck's "Make Your Mark" program to support our tutoring and mentoring of these children. We'll rename our mentoring program "Star Kids Mentoring" early next year. Now we just need more mentors! Sign up online at www.healthycities.com

Fire Safety Day

Pediatric Resident Dr. Krisha Torgerson taught the children fire safety at the regular Wednesday afternoon Children's Learning Gardens program. Dr. Torgerson's participation is part of her involvement in the LLU School of Medicine's Pediatric Department's "OK Kids" program. The children are students at Cypress Elementary School--the school to which they are bussed from the neighborhood around Norton Gardens. We need volunteers on Wednesdays who can also teach the children gardening.