{"id":7853,"date":"2021-01-14T18:21:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T18:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/atlantic\/program-boosts-childrens-mental-health\/"},"modified":"2025-05-26T11:22:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:22:21","slug":"program-boosts-childrens-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/atlantic\/2021\/01\/program-boosts-childrens-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Salvation Army After-School Program Boosts Children\u2019s Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pandemic has impacted many things \u2013 including children\u2019s mental health. In Spryfield, The Salvation Army\u2019s after-school program is boosting kids’ spirits by giving them the opportunity to socialize in a safe way while creating a sense of stability during uncertain times.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKids come right after school where they have been wearing masks all day. The program let\u2019s them unwind and spend time with friends from other classes that they can\u2019t spend time with at school,\u201d explains Krista Riendeau, community ministry coordinator.<\/span><\/p>\n

Children ranging in grades from primary to six participate in the program at The Salvation Army in Spryfield<\/a>, where they spend an hour playing games and taking part in activities. When the pandemic began, the program had to temporarily close along with schools, but now it is operating once again with all health and safety standards in place.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe program quickly grew from 7 children to 14 when we reopened. Kids want to see their friends, and parents know this is a safe way to make sure they can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The after-school program also offers snacks and food, which Krista says is vital for children who may be experiencing food insecurity at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI ask them why you like coming here every week and some say hanging out with friends, some say the food,\u201d she explains. \u201cYou don\u2019t really know what their home-life is because they may not have enough food at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

“It does a world of good to help their mental health”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Salvation Army continues to operate and adapt programs to abide by provincial health and safety standards across the Maritimes, knowing that many are vital for mental health and well-being.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt does a world of good to help their mental health, it creates a sense of normalcy and consistency that many of them have lost over this past year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about our programs and services<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The pandemic has impacted many things \u2013 including children\u2019s mental health. In Spryfield, The Salvation Army\u2019s after-school program is boosting kids’ spirits by giving them the opportunity to socialize in a safe way while creating a sense of stability during uncertain times. \u201cKids come right after school where they have been wearing masks all day. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-7853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-interest"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSalvation Army After-School Program Boosts Children\u2019s Mental Health - Salvation Army Atlantic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/atlantic\/2021\/01\/program-boosts-childrens-mental-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Salvation Army After-School Program Boosts Children\u2019s Mental Health - Salvation Army Atlantic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The pandemic has impacted many things \u2013 including children\u2019s mental health. 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