For the past two years, 17-year-old Zeona has brought her nephews to the Kids Café Program, a routine they’ve all come to count on each afternoon.
“They love it,” she says. “Sometimes I come up here with them and just watch them play. We play games, and we chill.”
Her nephews spend time relaxing with friends, getting help with homework and enjoying a nutritious meal or snack. It’s something they look forward to each day, thanks to supporters like you.
Zeona sees what the Kids Café means for her nephews. When she notices classmates who may not know where they belong or could use a snack, she encourages them to stop by, too.
“You can tell when a kid hasn’t eaten in so many days by the way they eat or by the way they act,” Zeona says. “I feel like when it’s a kid like that and they get what they need, they [are] perfectly fine when they leave.”
Some children are shy and even a little guarded at first. But Zeona says they begin to relax and feel more at ease as they connect with others. Over time, it becomes a safe place they can count on.
“I like what it really does for the kids,” she says. “It takes a lot of kids off the streets and gives them something to do when they come home after school.”
Because of you, children across Oklahoma have a safe place waiting for them each day, a reliable meal and the comfort of knowing someone is in their corner.
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