Designing a dream playground in central Fresno
BY KERRI M. LEEDY, REGIONAL MEDIA RELATIONS SPECIALISTA partnership between Kaiser Permanente, KaBOOM! and FIRM will bring playground and exercise equipment to underserved Fresno community.
Pieces of white construction paper quickly transformed into dream playgrounds as images of twirly slides, swings, rock-climbing walls – and even ice cream carts – appeared.
Dozens of children chatted about their drawings: eager to share what they hope to see this spring when a grassy area at FIRM (Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries) in Central Fresno is transformed into a playground.
This dream playground – as it has been described by many –will be built on April 23 thanks to a partnership between Kaiser Permanente, the non-profit organization KaBOOM! and FIRM, an organization that serves a large Southeast Asian community. A $500,000 regional Kaiser Permanente grant is funding the playground along with two others that will be built this summer in Stockton and Modesto.
“Our refugee community here is an underserved community,” said Zach Darrah, FIRM’s executive director. “This community doesn’t get a lot of good news or access to resources like this in their own backyard, so they’re beyond excited.”
That excitement could be felt inside the children’s room at FIRM recently when children who typically hang out at FIRM after school came together to design the playground. Their drawings and ideas were then shared with their parents and other adults who live in the area, as they too gave input into what they want to see in a playground for their children. The grant will also allow for five exercise stations to be built for adults to use.
Pediatrician Aimee Simbre, MD, participated in the Design Day activity at FIRM and expressed how important it is for children in every community to have access to safe places to play and stay active.
“I think everyone should have a playground close to them and Kaiser does too,” Dr. Simbre told the children before they began designing their playgrounds. “You have to help us make a playground that will make you big and strong.”
For many of these residents, who live across the street from FIRM at the Summerset Village apartments, the playground holds even more significance after what they went through this past winter. Many had to do without heat and hot water for weeks in December after substandard living conditions and code enforcement violations were uncovered at the apartment complex.
FIRM was one of the organizations that stepped up to help the residents in their time of need, providing blankets, hot meals and portable heaters to residents, Durrah said.
The playground is now seen as a symbol of hope for the community. “We’re still working on making Summerset a safe and healthy place to live,” Durrah said. “This project will be a huge part of this. We are so thankful and grateful for this opportunity and to Kaiser Permanente for investing in this community.”
Residents also expressed how grateful they are to Kaiser Permanente, KaBOOOM! and FIRM for making the playground a reality.
“I think it’s awesome because there’s no parks around here and when I was younger I lived around here and there was no place for me to go play,” Phonepany Vorrakurmman said. “So it’s great.”
The children also can’t wait until, they too, can see their dream playgrounds become a reality.
“It’s going to be fun,” said 7-year-old Allison Channita. “I want there to be a waterslide and a garden to make flowers.”