Columbus Recreation Director Greg Lewis wants area parents to know one thing: They are needed.
Parental engagement across the community has tapered off over the past several years, Lewis said, and he wants to see that trend reversed. To that end, Columbus Recreation Department is hosting a parental engagement meeting Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the lower level of Trotter Convention Center.
“This is an appeal to parents to re-engage with the community,” Lewis said. “A lot of times, when it comes to parks and recreation, people are not volunteering like they used to. When it comes to schools, people are not doing (Parent Teacher Organization) like they used to.”
Lewis said Thursday’s event will bring together not just representatives from the parks system, but also from the Columbus Municipal School District, Columbus Police Department and area churches, as well as the mayor and members of the city council.
“Everybody’s got the same problem, and this isn’t just about recreation,” he said. “This is an appeal for involvement in every area. What could the schools get done if more parents were involved? If a parent sees a crime and tells the police what happened, that’s all part of community involvement. It’s all a part of the total community.”
The idea originated with senior citizens, Lewis said.
“A group of senior citizens who meet over at Townsend Community Center thought we needed to find a way to bring parents back into the community,” Lewis said. “They suggested meetings to draw them back into community activities.”
Lewis emphasized the meeting is open to everyone, not just citizens of Columbus.
“We have people from the county who participate in our program,” Lewis said. “It’s not a city or county thing. Whosoever will, let them come. That person that might appear to be the outsider may have the best idea of anybody.”
While Thursday’s event is geared toward informing parents of the needs that are out there, Lewis said another event will be held early next year to get suggestions for how organizations can better meet citizens’ needs.
“If I can get (people’s) attention, then we will meet again for people to bring forth their ideas and tell us, ‘Hey, we want to do this or that,’” Lewis said.
Mayor Keith Gaskin said it was important to bring diverse groups together.
“A lot of our different programs in the city are siloed within different organizations,” Gaskin said. “Any time we can have an event and get people in the community involved, we can find out specifically we can help their children or schools or any activities around the community.”
For more information, call (662) 327-4935 or (662) 251-4076.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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