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Estelle Conrad
(far left) and her family been at the Durham Rescue Mission for nearly two
years. She said that the new Bright Space room offers more options for
productive play for her children, MJ Conrad, Thad Trent, Lucy Trent, Dottie
Conrad, and Tekeyra Conrad. |
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Mindy Kornberg,
assistant vice president for Human Resources, shows Kayla Moses around the
new Bright Space room at the Durham Rescue Mission. |
Duke Helps Brighten Space for Durham's Homeless Children
October 18, 2005
DURHAM, N.C. - Thad Trent, 9, and his sister Tekeyra, 12, seemed at home as they began twirling the handles on the foosball
table watching intently as the white ball bounced back and forth. And perhaps, for a brief period, they were able to forget
that they do not have a place they can call home.
For nearly two years, Thad and Tekeyra have lived with their three brothers and sisters, their mother, Estelle Conrad, and her
husband at the Durham Rescue Mission, a place that became a little brighter on Friday with the dedication of a new playroom for
the children of the mission's Good Samaritan Inn on East Knox St.
The room, called a Bright Space, was the product of a partnership by Duke University and Bright Horizons Family Solutions, which
manages the onsite childcare center on Duke's campus. The Bright Space is the first of its kind in Durham and only the third in
North Carolina. Bright Horizons has partnered with various organizations around the country to open 98 Bright Spaces that provide
homeless children in shelters with a dedicated warm, enriching area to play and learn.
Estelle Conrad, who works at the mission in the apprenticeship program, said that the room offers more productive options for
her children than watching television.
"There are so many different games in the room that they can play," she said. "It lets them really interact and enjoy each other
rather than being cooped up in a room. They could spend hours and hours in the room and not get bored."
About 10 children from the shelter attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday and got a first look at the room that is
chocked full of games, craft supplies and Duke athletic memorabilia, including posters of the men's and women's basketball teams.
Gail Mills, co-founder of the mission, said the children helped pick out the paint and the decorations for the room, which were
all donated by Duke.
"We are very blessed to have this special partnership with Duke, and we are so thankful that they have made this such a special
place for our children," she said. "The mission doesn't often have the resources to do these types of things, and Duke has helped
in so many ways. They donated the 12-foot couches in the lobby, the football team came over and played with the children in the
yard, and the women's basketball team helped collect toys for Christmas. One of our graduates, who had only flipped burgers
before going through our computer skills training, is even an employee at the Duke Eye Center now."
The new Bright Space is part of Duke's ongoing efforts to support the Durham community and provide educational enrichment for
its young people. Duke hopes to sponsor additional Bright Spaces in Durham in the future.
"We are proud to partner with Bright Horizons to create a place for these children to grow and develop by giving them a chance
and a place to play," said H. Clint Davidson, Jr., vice president of Human Resources at Duke University. "Children who come to
this room should feel free to play, to imagine, to dream, and to envision a brighter future. Hopefully, this Bright Space provides
them with a dedicated room to do just that."
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