Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, March 27, 2020 Saugus coping with COVID-19 Youth & Recreation Dept. staff is making “Boredom Bags” to keep kids busy while school is out By Mark E. Vogler N ormally, the town’s Youth & Recreation Center on Central Street would be packed with kids after school, all of them participating in various fun projects. But with all town schools and public buildings closed for the past two weeks – and kids being told to stay at home to avoid getting infected with the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19 – there isn’t much to do these days. But Saugus Youth & Recreation Department Program Coordinator Crystal Cakounes and her staff came up with a creative plan to keep the kids busy until the schools and recreation centers reopen. “In response to the children being out of school, The Saugus Youth & Recreation staff decided to make Boredom Bags to help out with the kids being stuck at home,” Cakounes recently wrote in an email to The Saugus Advocate. “I worked with my two lead counselors to fill 90 bags with small toys, coloring pages and craft kits. We passed them all out on Wednesday March 18, outside in our parking lot,” she said. “We have ordered more supplies, and will be making more bags as the days pass. We will post the next distribution day on our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/saugusyouthandrecreation we hope to do this once a week until school resumes.” Her staff made 100 Boredom Bags this week. They were able to hand out 81 of them on Monday before the snowfall interfered with their work. Parents of Saugus children who are interested in getASKS | from page 8 ging here? A: There is no bagging; there is nothing at this point. Q: No collection of food? A: No collection of food. I was told that the Food Pantry was open last week, but they did it differently. They did it very safely because there is a concern about those who are in need. There is still a need, so I think we’re all trying to figure out what is the best way to do that. We’re still figuring it out. Q: Is this the biggest challenge you’ve seen in your time as a minister? How many years have you been a man of the cloth? A: I have been in ministry for about 40 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this before. A CORONAVIRUS PROJECT: Saugus Youth & Recreation Department Staff Emily Kay and Emily Grant and the department’s program coordinator, Crystal Cakounes, assemble the “Boredom Bags” that were passed out to 90 Saugus kids last week. (Courtesy Photos to The Saugus Advocate) SOME FUN THINGS: Sisters Camryn, Holly and Janelle Ber r idge pi ck up the i r “Boredom Bags” in the parking lot of the Saugus Youth & Recreation Center on Central Street. ting Boredom Bags should contact the Saugus Youth & Recreation Department, which is located at 400 Central St. in Saugus. The phone number is 781-231-4022. You may also email Cakounes at ccakounes@saugusma.gov or check out the website at www.saugusyouthandrec.org. Parents who are in need of recovery, support or resources during the center’s recent restrictions are encouraged to visit the center’s website for help. Q: So, this is the biggest challenge of your career? A: This is a big challenge. I think we need to do life differently. We need to do church differently. And that’s okay. It stretches our faith, but it also makes us seek the creator and to be creative. And I believe that there are ways out there that we can reach people that we never thought of. But now we’re forced to press in and pray and to figure it out. Q: So, what’s been the biggest thing for you, the biggest adjustment that you needed to make? A: I love being around people, so being in isolation or being in quarantine is very hard when you are a people person. That’s very hard, but I really felt, with just a nudge in my heart, KEEPING BUSY: Sisters Jade and Emma Johnson had a reason to come down to the Saugus Youth & Recreation Center last week – even though it was closed. They came to pick up their “Boredom Bags.” that the Lord said, “If there is quarantine, how about turning it around for the good ... making it an opportunity for solitude” – and pressing to get to know him more and to encourage families to build a stronger relationship. We have no excuses anymore. Every husband and every wife has a chance to rebuild their relationships with each other. Every parent has a chance to get to know their children better. I believe that family dinners have come back. I believe that families are playing together – with board games, card games – which is wonderful. Q: I hear that this is the major positive coming out of the coronavirus: the reASKS | SEE PAGE 11 THREE IS NOT A CROWD: The O’Connell brothers – Zack, Owen and Ben – were thrilled to receive special gifts from the town’s Youth & Recreation Department staff to keep them busy while they are out of school. BIGGEST CAREER CHALLENGE: Pastor Wayne L. Shirk, in his office this week at the New Hope Assembly of God Church in Saugus. He has spent more than 40 years in the ministry -- the last 21 as senior pastor at New Hope Assembly. As a faith leader, he says he faces the greatest challenge of his career as a result of the Coronavirus crisis.
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