Roughly 16 years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, Red Bank United Methodist Church opened its doors to local children who’d been sent home from school early and whose parents were stuck at work. David Brackett had just started working at the church as a youth minister the year prior, and he knew the kids wouldn’t have anywhere to go but home alone as the nation struggled to comprehend the carnage unfolding.
Sixteen years later, the free after-school program, now called Safehouse, is still going strong and Brackett is still at the helm, now as director of programs and youth for the church. By his estimation, around 200 students, mostly from Red Bank Middle School, are served by the program every year. The church is a stop for RBMS buses, enabling students to stay after school for up to four hours or until their parents pick them up.
“Elementary schools provide after-school care, and the high school kids have jobs and things like that, but for middle schoolers, there’s just not anywhere for them to go,” Brackett said.
The program is staffed by community volunteers, predominantly senior citizens and retirees due to the afternoon hours required, said Brackett, and snacks and other expenses are funded by the church congregation throughout the year.
“Connections are being made here,” he said. “The kids and the volunteers get the opportunity to talk and get to know each other. I think there’s definitely friendships being made.”