The Hammonton Gazette 08/25/21 Edition | Page 5

Page 4 • Wednesday , August 25 , 2021 • The Hammonton Gazette

Former St . Joe Elem . being turned into St . Joe Community Center

COMMUNITY , from Page 1 families and for the community . Also , it ’ s about using the building . If it ’ s going to be there , we might as well use it ; whether it ’ s empty or full , the parish has to pay for it ,” Rivera said .
Rivera said that the plans for the center include expanding Little Cubs Preschool “ as much as possible , in terms of the amount of students and also programming for the children .”
“ For example , we ’ re going from 43 kids last year and the goal is to reach 53 this year — if not more ; our goal is to increase by at least 10 kids , and we ’ re well on our way to that , which is good news . The programming for the preschool , we ’ re going to be having a Pre-K-3 soccer component . It ’ s going to be open to the public — they have to pay for it ; it ’ s extra — but it ’ ll be specifically for Pre-K-3 students ,” Rivera said , noting that the soccer component will be held weekly .
Rivera said that the Parish Youth Organization ( PYO ) basketball skills training will continue to be held .
“ We ’ ll be finishing up our first round this August , and we ’ re going to be starting a new round in September , so we ’ re going to keep building on that , and that ’ ll run until November . The gym will be used for the Pre-K-3 soccer and for the basketball skills training ,” Rivera said .
Rivera said that the rest of the building will be used for community programming .
“ Chef Lou Caruso is going to be doing one night of cooking classes for children in grades three to five and then for adults ... We have another parishioner who wants to do one-day workshops on wreathmaking , so probably something for Thanksgiving and probably something for Christmas ; we ’ ll have two workshops . People will come together , bring their own supplies and learn how to make wreaths ,” Rivera said .
Rivera said that Maria Buono Higgins , a world language teacher at Hammonton High School , will be teaching Italian classes .
“ I ’ ve always wanted to have Italian classes here . I ’ ve always felt it was important that we do that . Although people have been here for many generations , they still need to know their roots .
Since I lived in Italy for five years , I speak Italian ; I have an affinity for it , even though I ’ m Puerto Rican and have my own culture . I feel it ’ s very important that there be some place in the parish that ’ s fostering that ,” Rivera said .
Rivera said that funding for that particular program has been provided by local donors .
“ The various Italian heritage organizations in Hammonton have chipped in to help get some seed money for that program to make available Italian classes for adults and young people from third to
fifth grade . We want to build on the Italian heritage , but also as a way of fostering understanding between the young generation and the older generation , and also between all people in Hammonton who would like to get to know the Italian culture a little bit ,” Rivera said .
Rivera noted that the parish intends to eventually offer a similar course for Spanish language and culture .
“ It ’ s the same intention : for people to get to know each other ’ s culture , and understand and appreciate each other — or even your own culture , if you ’ re Spanish or Italian . Ideally , I would have the young people learning Italian , because that ’ s their culture , but also Spanish , to get to know another culture — and vice-versa ; young people learning Spanish who are Latino , and learning Italian to get to know that people and their background . It ’ s a cross-cultural thing . I ’ ll be working with the teachers ; hopefully they can tie in some local history — how did the Italians come here ? How did the
See CENTER , Page 18