Monday, October 29, 2007

Welcome

Thank you for visiting the LAMB Blog.

LAMB (Local Area Mothers/Caregivers and Babes) is a cooperative playgroup that simply caters to the needs and wants of the small child (ages 0-4 years) and their parents/caregiver. LAMB playgroup is a place where kids learn to interact with other kids and adults. It offers a safe place where children can be KIDS in an extremely flexible environment, as participants can arrive at a time that is convenient for them, and only need to stay as long as the children are having fun.

LAMB has created this blog to enable Parents, Caregivers, and Friends of LAMB to share thoughts/feelings, information, or ideas with each other! Please feel free to talk about whatever you like; the best winter/summer activities, parenting issues, caregiving positions wanted/needed, or whatever is on your mind. Hope this is a valuable resource!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

This is such an amazing resource for the community. Thank you so much for providing the space and materials for this outreach. It would be amazing if you could also offer a late afternoon (i.e. 3:30-5:30pm) time slot, especially during bad weather. No toddler classes (music, tumbling, etc.) are offered during that time period and museums close at 5pm. It would be great to have a post-nap & pre-dinner play space.

Unknown said...

I am a new mom looking for play groups in center city. A friend sent me this link. I see that the summer session starts June 5th, are there no sessions available to attend now? Also, do you think it is worth wild for a mom with a 3 month old to attend? Thanks for any advice.

Information

LOCATION
Church of the Holy Trinity
Centennial Hall
1904 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA

LAMB is held in the Centennial Hall of CHT, which can be accessed from the breezeway that is located between the church and Smith and Wollensky Restaurant at The Rittenhouse Hotel and Condominiums


DAYS & TIMES *subject to change
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday
10:00am - 12:00pm



DUES
There's a $5 fee per daily playgroup. This can be paid on a pay-as-go basis or paid in full at the beginning of each session. There are funds available to help families that are not able to pay this fee. Please talk to the Director regarding this.


GENERAL
The playgroup is held in the community hall of the Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, PA (activities are not religious in nature and the group is open to anyone of any faith or denomination). The large hall is set up into various play stations including a reading mat, toy and music mat, art table, and a small indoor playground. Each two hour playgroup session is limited to 20 children to ensure maximum safety.

The church feels LAMB is an excellent ministry that they can support by simply opening their doors and providing the community a warm and safe place for children to play. Of course, The Church of the Holy Trinity is always looking for new members (and has been focusing on ministry to young adults and young families) so if you are in need of such a church home, please feel free to join us one Sunday!

Contact
lambphilly@gmail.com


History

LAMB was established in the fall of 2004 by Jen Charbonnet, Rachele Loffer and the clergy of the Church of the Holy Trinity. Jen, a parishioner at the church, was approached by Priest Alan Neale, due to his concern for where the moms and children who frequent Rittenhouse Square would associate once the weather turned cold. The Rev. Neale suggested the under-utilized centennial hall and saw the opportunity for the church to help establish an inexpensive Center City indoor playgroup. Jen volunteered to help plan, coordinate and execute the group, with the help of her friend and neighbor, Rachele Loffer.

The program immediately took off and rose quickly in popularity. So much so, that Jen and Rachele (both mothers of young children) were no longer able to solely handle the responsibilities associated with running the daily operations of LAMB. So they sought additional help, and were blessed with the volunteer services of church member Carmen DeCinque. Carmen quickly became a popular member of the LAMB family, as the children seem to immediately sense his gentle nature and loving spirit.

While Jen and Rachele are still heavily involved in LAMB, the program simply has grown too large and its responsibilities demanded too much of their already limited time. So in order to give LAMB and its participants the attention needed, in the early spring of 2005, Sue Gillespie joined the LAMB family, taking over the role as director and overseer of daily operations.

Currently Christine Bailey and Carolyn Bailey are the co-directors at LAMB. They hope to help LAMB continue to grow and serve more children and families in the Center City area.

LAMB started as an answer to a simple problem, and has become much more than ever imagined. LAMB has brought the community together to form a caring family based around one common love: the child. As LAMB continues, its participants grow closer, and look forward to their weekly meetings and spending their time together