Nonprofit is still heart of neighborhood

Nestled in a narrow East Central neighborhood between Sprague Avenue and Interstate 90, children have limited access to the meals and activities offered by schools or community centers. In fact, kids in the area would have to cross the freeway and walk one to two miles just to reach those resources, hardly a safe excursion for a first-grader.

But staff and volunteers at the nonprofit organization SPEAR are dedicated to making sure the 50-plus children in this working class neighborhood still have access to food and fun.

“It’s a program that this neighborhood has come to rely on to help them keep things together,” said Claudia Holtz, president of SPEAR’s board of trustees. “A lot of these families are two incomes. Both mom and dad may be working two jobs at minimum wage to hold things together. They’re a great bunch of people. I can’t help but want to help them out.”

SPEAR, which stands for Serving People Through Education, Arts and Recreation, was started by Grace Lutheran Church in 1969 as Spiritual Program for Education, Arts and Recreation.

Last year, when the church disbanded and sold its property, members didn’t want to leave SPEAR in the lurch. They donated a small plot of land and office building on East First Avenue, across the street from the church, so the 41-year-old program could continue.

“SPEAR has always been wrapped around the neighborhood and helping the neighborhood,” said coordinator Sheryl Kruger. “It is a tough area, but there is so much spirit there.”

On a recent Wednesday morning, kids filled the small meeting room, eating breakfast, playing games and making art projects. Some spilled into the front yard, where they filled a bouncy castle with air and an inflatable pool with water. In with the kids, adult volunteers made sure everyone had something fun to do and enough to eat.

Kori Hahn, 11, said she’s been coming as long as she can remember. “I like doing the crafts, hanging out with my friends and having fun,” she said, then quickly added, “plus, I give my mom and dad a break.”

Across the table, Shari Camebell, 14, fashioned a ring out of wax-coated string. She’s been showing up since she moved into the neighborhood seven years ago and said she comes almost every day SPEAR is open. “It’s really fun. You like it for the people in it,” she said. “They make really good food. My mom lost her job a couple years ago. We wouldn’t be able to get dinner some nights.”

During the school year SPEAR offers snacks, dinner, homework help and recreation after school two days a week. In the summer, kids can come three days a week for two meals and a variety of activities. The program also sends kids to camp each summer, operates a clothing bank, provides backpacks and school supplies and sends kids home with extra food provided by Second Harvest Food Bank, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and other donors.

Kruger said they also provide toiletries and other essentials that aren’t covered by food stamps, including toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, light bulbs and diapers.

Funded entirely by donations, the program costs about $30,000 a year to operate, said Holtz, explaining that because they lost access to the kitchen and facilities in the former Grace Lutheran Church, they need to raise an additional $35,000 to add a kitchen onto their small facilities.

“We are desperate for a real kitchen,” said Holtz. “We added a sink and hand washing sink. We are cooking on a hot plate and microwave. The county health department has said we are a special organization, so we don’t have the need for a full-blown commercial kitchen. We can make good with a good home kitchen.”

It’s their goal to raise enough funds to add the kitchen and expand the program to additional days and locations.

“I’d like to see us offer what we offer more days of the week,” said Holtz, noting they’ve applied for a hunger grant and are preparing for their annual fundraiser on Wednesday, an auction held at St. Mark’s church on the South Hill.

Auction coordinator Kirsten Schierman said if more people in Spokane knew about the kids SPEAR serves, she’s certain they’d pitch in. “If they realized how many underserved kids are growing up there, they would find a way to help. The kids just need a safe place to play and the food and supplies necessary to have a normal childhood.”

According to Will Lapke, 18, that’s what SPEAR has done for him. After coming as a kid, he’s now a volunteer. He took a brief break in a game of Battleship against Mick Craig, 12, to say, “I think it’s a pretty awesome place. They do great things for kids.”