FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 27, 2017 • KIDS & EDUCATION • THE QUEENS COURIER 33
kids & education
SpoSnpsoonresdo rbeyd by
Kids at South Jamaica homeless shelter
attend NY Knicks summer basketball camp
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BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
agiudice@qns.com
@A_GiudiceReport
Seven kids living in a homeless
shelter in South Jamaica
will get to live out their basketball
dreams this summer as
they attend a New York Knicks
Summer Basketball Camp
thanks to scholarships from the
Garden of Dreams Foundation.
Th e seven boys — ages 12-15
— are currently staying at the
Saratoga Family Inn, a shelter
for 255 homeless families. Th e
Saratoga Family Inn’s recreation
director, Roy Anderson, nominated
the boys for the Garden
of Dreams Foundation scholarships
because of their interest in
basketball, their skills and their
potential.
“Homelessness disproportionately
impacts children,”
said Ralph da Costa Nunez,
Ph.D., president of Homes
for the Homeless, which runs
the Saratoga Family Inn. “At
Homes for the Homeless’s facilities,
such as the Saratoga, we go
beyond providing housing to
providing opportunities for kids
to thrive.”
Th e New York Knicks Summer
Basketball Camp provides children
with a basketball learning
experience that encourages not
only team participation, but personal
development as well. Th e
camp focuses on improving the
children’s basketball skills on
off ense, defense, shooting and
other game fundamentals. Also
included at the camp are the
chance to play competitive games,
and visits from current New York
Knicks players and alumni.
“In conjunction with the
NYC Department of Homeless
Services and through partner
organizations such as the
Garden of Dreams Foundation,
we can help homeless children
toward great childhood memories
and bright futures,” said
Michael Fahy, administrator of
the Saratoga Family Inn.
Saratoga Family Inn has an
active sports program, in addition
to early learning and aft erschool
programs for children
from the community and residents
alike. Th e facility’s intramural
teams, the Saratoga Eagles,
compete in co-ed sports such as
track, basketball, football, soccer
and little league baseball.
For more information about
Homes for the Homeless and
HFH Summer Camps, visit
www.hfh nyc.org.