PLANT CITY, Fla. — When the school day ends at Robinson Elementary, about 40 kids walk, run and hopscotch their way to Good Afternoon Friends and Amigos, an after-school program primarily serving the families of farmworkers.
“This service is super-duper important for these families,” Program Director Mary Torres said. “If this program wasn’t here, these children would be home alone.”
Aiden Bautista is in second grade and each afternoon — has a ball.
“So, when I go to Friends and Amigos, I play outside and play soccer,” the 8-year-old said.
Each day this bi-lingual program serves up a wide variety of activities.
There’s yoga with breathing and calming techniques, help with homework, sports activities and a meal.
Aiden’s mom loves the free program because it means her son is in a safe place while she works long hours picking local crops.
“I work in the fields, picking strawberries, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, you name it,” Petronila Vargas, who lives in Dover, said. “We come home tired and late and here in this program, they help him with his homework.”
Good Afternoon Friends and Amigos is run by Gulf Coast Jewish and Family Community Services. It also receives funding from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. There is also a GAFA program at Reddick Elementary School in Wimauma.
Torres has been with the program from the start and for her, the young faces that are in her care every day — truly are her Friends and Amigos.
Torres says, “This program is so amazing, and for me, it is the joy that I find every day!”
10 Tampa Bay and our parent company TEGNA’s Foundation are happy to support GAFA with a $2,000 grant.