Break A Barrier - Healthy Education Helps Kids

DETROIT, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center is pleased to announce that the G-Team, Groupon's philanthropic arm (www.groupon.com/g-team), is hosting a local campaign that enables Metro-Detroiter's to raise awareness and funds for The Children's Education Experience, which are free after-school and summer programs for grades 1-3, to ensure that youngsters do not fall behind academically.

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The Break A Barrier campaign will be available on Groupon Detroit's G-Team page beginning on Monday, October 3 and running through Wednesday, October 5.  Groupon members can pledge support (in increments of $10) that will provide a year's worth of healthy snacks for the children's programs.  

St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center's unique approach to supplemental education has identified several "barriers" that at-risk children experience during the education process.  One of those critical barriers is simple – they are in need of a healthy snack to help with concentration.

Many low income families simply do not have access to or cannot afford fresh fruits, vegetables or other healthy alternatives.  So if they have access to an afternoon snack, it tends to be filling, inexpensive and more often than not, having little nutritional value.  As a result, the children can become lethargic or over stimulated by processed sugar.  

The goal of improving the nutritional value for the Center's young students is to increase their ability to concentrate and really be able to successfully make the most of the program's resources.    

"The Center serves approximately 80 children each year and providing them with a healthy snack is important.  For some of our kids, that is the only healthy thing they eat in a day," said Diane Renaud, Executive Director/CEO of The Education Experience at St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center.  "We are grateful to Groupon and the G-Team for their support of the Center and their assistance in helping us break through this simple, but important barrier and help our kids be more productive."

Founded in 1844, the St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center most recently served Southeastern Michigan as a residential/foster care agency for children. However, in 2006, the Center closed its residential campus due to elimination of funding. It was determined that rather than close the doors of the organization, the Center would return to its roots – providing assistance to the residents of the community through educational program.

St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center moved to Detroit to continue nearly 170 years of service to the community through basic skill-building and academic enhancement for at-risk children and adults. These programs are designed to help build self-sufficiency skills for academic and employment success, personal achievement and dignity.  

In March 2011, The Education Experience was launched, with expanded hours and programs, to better serve the community.  

For more information, visit http://www.svsfcenter.org/.

Contact: Diane Renaud, (313) 535-9200, [email protected]

SOURCE St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center