By Leah Williams
On December 20, Camille Harris, owner and operator of All for Kids, LLC, held her Third Annual Christmas Luncheon for her staff, families, and senior citizens at the Spencer Township Neighborhood Center in Holland, Ohio.
All for Kids, LLC is 5-star rated licensed early childcare center that services children 6 weeks to 5 years old. Their 5-star rating comes from the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) rating and improvement system, which recognizes 5-star facilities as exceeding quality program learning standards as well as licensing health and safety regulations.
Ms. Harris said that the annual event is just one way that she thanks her families for entrusting All for Kids with their children’s care and preschool education.
“‘Tis the season to give back – without the family and community support, All for Kids would not have made it. This is our 7th year, and I’ve been blessed in different avenues, and I just felt that I needed to give back,” Ms. Harris said.
Originally, she said the childcare program started in 1999 in her home as Ms. Camille’s Daycare, but she soon realized that it was time to shift to a center-based learning facility. So, in 2012, she founded All for Kids, LLC and now services over 40 children with a full staff.
“The parents are wonderful,” Ms. Harris said. “They send their precious babies to me, and I have a very big duty to make sure that they’re loved, nurtured, safe, and [prepared] for kindergarten.”
All for Kids, LLC is housed in the Spencer Township Neighborhood Center along with other community programs including an Area Office on Aging satellite program that offers daily lunch and activities for area seniors. Ms. Harris said that she often brings children from her program to the other end of the center to visit the seniors and thought inviting them to the luncheon was a natural progression.
“The integration of the children with the seniors, it brightens their day,” she said. “We make field trips. We have a winter wonderland, and we sang carols to the seniors and they just loved it, so why not include them.”
Senior Charlotte Westley said she was delighted to attend the luncheon along with some of her bingo buddies.
“I was raised out here in Spencer Township, and I’m here because of the children. It is my first time being here with [them] and since all my children are grown, and I have great grandchildren and great great grandchildren, I thought I’d like to be with the community kids,” Ms. Westley said.
In addition to a catered soul food lunch, Ms. Harris had activities for the families to do together before she introduced her staff and thanked them for all their hard work. Sister Mattie Taylor offered the opening prayer and a door prize giveaways rounded out the festive family event.
