After-School Program for Young Martial Artists

My name is Barbara Bennett. I work for Lion's Den Karate school in St. Augustine, Florida. Several years ago, I noticed that children would quit taking classes because their parent(s) were working and were unable to bring them to classes. I started carpooling but quickly learned that my car would not accommodate the number of students who needed this service. I encouraged Lion's Den to purchase a van for me to pick up children from school. As a public school teacher, I offered to help them with their homework while they waited for their classes to start, often providing snacks as well. Today (April 2025), I am offering a full time after school program for martial artists, picking up from four local schools, providing snacks, and homework help and supervising free play until 7:00 pm each day. I do charge membership fees to recoup some of my costs, but I would like to offer this to even more students. I am also raising money to help the Lion's Den traveling competition team. The goal here is to help as many children as we can giving them the opportunity to attend martial arts classes even if their parents have to work. I also work with parents when an "emergency" happens - job loss, change in family situation, etc - when they can't afford to pay. If you would like to help, any amount can make the difference for the child of a working parent.