Interserv christens new South Side after-school facility

By Cameron Montemayor

Nature isn’t the only thing blossoming in St. Joseph this April, as InterServ opened its new South Side after-school facility for its growing program.

Located just down the street from its main King Hill Avenue building, the after-school space will help provide the long-standing organization with a centralized location for after-school activities for the 120 students enrolled in the youth South Side program, which is free of cost.

The facility opened the first week of April, but staff spent much of that time getting parents and buses acclimated to the new system. Now, the organization is eager to push forward and provide new and expanded space for South Side students to make connections and seek academic support.

“We’re excited to get going,” said Lea Parker, director of youth and children’s services with InterServ. “A lot of parents work more than one job. And so having a place for kids to go once they’re out of school, rather than going home and being alone for even an hour … or for the whole evening, this gives them an opportunity.”

The new facility — which looks after 55 to 65 kids a day — was made possible with help from a $225,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Education. Located at 228 Cherokee St., the former Cereal Workers Union Hall underwent significant renovations from Lehr Construction to turn it into the facility it is now.

InterServ was previously using both the gym and common areas at its main building for students arriving from Hosea, Hyde, Spring Garden, Saint James Catholic School and Carden Park.

“So all of our things we had in both those places were moved down to here. We don’t have to move buildings to be able to do different activities and it keeps the kids a lot safer,” she said. “The difference between what it looked like before and what it looks like now is astronomical.”

Hosea fourth grader Alivia Danyluck looks forward to the board games and group painting activities that await when she arrives each day.

“Sometimes we get to go to the park and meet friends too,” Danyluck said.

The opportunity to build new friendships is what excites Spring Garden seventh grader Taylee Johnson the most.

“Usually they’re not in my grade because I’m friends with a lot of people,” Johnson said. “I like how we get to practice sports too.”

With the new facility, InterServ can look forward to incorporating new and engaging activities for students like Danyluck and Johnson, such as an upcoming partnership with the Centers of Community Gardens to create a new community garden. Parker said the new facility will open the door for more students to participate in educational lesson plans when additional work is needed.

“So if they’re struggling with reading or math, we can work that into our plans and have those opportunities for the kids over and above what they’re getting during the school day,” Parker said.

One of St. Joseph’s longest-standing social service organizations, InterServ has worked to reach and assist those in need going back to 1909. Since that time, the organization has significantly expanded its programs and services, from case management and immigrant services to nutrition and child care, among others.

The new facility comes as InterServ expands its overall youth program with the help of new funding from state education grants. The organization has grown by nearly 30 students since last November alone.

“Our numbers have grown exponentially,” she said. “We were able to take a whole lot more kids and able to do a lot of academic support, a lot of social-emotional learning, a lot of recreation that we weren’t able to do before.”