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MAURA HALPERNA church enriches kids' spirits - and minds - to help them germinate into "better children to their parents and peers."
PINELLAS PARK - It's silent reading time at the House of Manna-Fest church summer program, where 20 kids are spread out around a small activity room.
One child thumbs through Where's Waldo. Another skims Stuart Little, and a young girl reads a religious children's book before setting it on the lavender shelf.
Nine-year-old Evan Holmes has an algebra textbook open. He's brushing up on variables and equations.
"When I go back to school, I'll know everything I'm supposed to," says Evan, who will start fifth grade in the fall. "My friends don't really like to do math over the summer, but I can do both - math and skateboarding."
This is the afterlunch routine for 22 children, ranging from preschool to fifth grade, who are in the House of Manna-Fest Interdenominational and Multicultural Church Summer Enrichment Program.
Three volunteer teachers run the six-week program, which includes academics and a Bible class in the morning and art or drama activities in the afternoon.
Although the "vacation Bible school" aspect is a large part of the program, the academic segments are vital.
"We incorporate math, reading and the Bible within our camp as a class setting, but with fun activities," said Veronica Maurer, one of the program's three instructors. During the school year, she teaches at Clearview Avenue Elementary in St. Petersburg. "If you don't bridge the summer gap by reading on a regular basis, the kids get back to school and lose so much information."
Maurer is the program's director and creates many of the lesson plans. She is also an active member of the church.
"One of the most rewarding things about this opportunity is I'm in a setting where I can incorporate God into the child's everyday life," Maurer said. "I can bring him into the situation to help a child do better, and that's an awesome thing."
As bustling as it is inside the House of Manna-Fest's walls, the church is easy to miss.
Sandwiched between a restaurant and sports memorabilia store in the DeCosmo shopping center at 49th Street N and 68th Avenue, the church lacks high ceilings or stained glass windows. But the small space doesn't deter the mission, which is to welcome individuals of any Christian denomination or racial and ethnic background.
Archbishop Sherwin Smith oversees the church and six others, including two more in Florida and four in Africa's Ivory Coast. He said his travels influenced him to create a multicultural church.
"I didn't have to go around the world to find a diverse group of people, and our youth program carries that same flavor," said Smith, also a senior pastor at Manna-Fest. "The new generation has to be raised in an environment where they view each other as human beings. The best way to kill racism and evil is to bring kids together."
In addition to reading, math, dance and the Bible, the group takes a field trip once or twice a week.
Last Thursday was gardening day, where the kids walked across the street to Earl J. Small Growers, a local landmark closing as soon as the property sells. While touring the 30-acre nursery, each child received a penta plant. Employees explained germination. After lunch and reading, it was time for the kids to dig in the dirt a little, where they proved that any parcel of land is a suitable garden. A dull dirt median in the middle of parking spaces soon blossomed with color.
The children put on clear plastic gloves, many of which hung off their small hands.
Cheryl Songer, a manager at Earl J. Small Growers, arrived with 20 donated pentas ready for planting. She instructed the group on the basics of planting potted flowers. After a little digging and watering, the median bloomed with pink and red. "It's a pleasure to educate the kids about plants because we don't have enough people in our field," Songer said. "We want to promote interest and always like donating to the community."
Alexandria Penrod, 9, wiped the dirt from her hands with an accomplished smile on her face.
"It was fun because we all worked together," said Alexandria, a fifth-grader. "The colors are so bright, so anyone who sees them will be in a cheerful mood."
Church officials said they hope the kids will incorporate these positive value into all parts of life.
"The teachers have laid a wonderful foundation for this program, and they're teaching the kids to be better children to their parents and peers," Archbishop Smith said. "They're learning English and science to enrich their academics, and they're doing it with God's help, too."
- Maura Halpern can be reached at 727 892-2271 or mhalpern@sptimes.com