Activities program is a Pointe of pride for apartment residents

Friday, Feb. 7, 2003 | 2:50 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: Feb. 8, 2003

For Claudette Brown and her 12-year-old son, Eric, a new program offers mentoring services and a variety of activities just beyond the door of their North Las Vegas apartment.

In the recreation hall of the Hayden Pointe Apartments on Las Vegas Boulevard North, a volunteer program called the The Pointe has given Brown just what she's been looking for -- a safe place for Eric, who is interested in sports and computers.

Eric, a student at J.D. Smith Middle School in North Las Vegas, has been encouraged by teachers to have a computer in his home, but Brown, who is disabled, has not been able to afford one.

Since hurting her back and moving to Las Vegas from Southern California, Brown has not been able to drive Eric to sports practices or special computer classes outside their neighborhood.

On a recent evening children and adults were at computers. Some were in a class to earn their GEDs and the smallest tots were busy in a toy kitchen complete with stove, sink and cardboard food.

Adults and children who live in the 252-apartment complex can catch up on computers, can learn about settling conflicts peacefully and can have fun going bowling, seeing a movie or playing games on a Friday night, Daniele Monroe-Moreno said.

Monroe-Moreno is president of the North Las Vegas Detention Employee Community Partnership, one of 25 organizations that launched the special apartment activities program to prevent at-risk children from falling into trouble with the law.

"Our (motto) is 'to protect and to serve,' " Monroe-Moreno said. "We were doing a lot of protecting, but we weren't serving.

"We came here and there were casinos and there was a racetrack, but nothing for kids," Monroe-Moreno said about her move from Tucson about a decade ago. "I want to help change the image of North Las Vegas. We're going to try to break the cycle."

The program will offer health fairs, arts and crafts and theater programs, including classes for aspiring actors, costume designers and musicians.

Rancho High School students and senior citizens are volunteering to help the children, Monroe-Moreno said. With professionals taking a student on the job for a day, junior and senior high school students will learn about working environments, she said.

"From airlines to ambulance services, to nonprofit organizations, they are all volunteering," she said.

The Rancho High students will help the younger children with homework after school. For older students, college prep courses and coaching will be available on nights and weekends.

"You can't wait until you are a senior in high school, or even a junior before you start thinking about college," Monroe-Moreno said.

The Pointe has been stitched together with many volunteers, from residents of the apartment complex to people such as David Osmond, a registered nurse and president of the Nevada Youth Alliance.

Osmond is trying to bring basic sports to children such as Eric. Brown said she seemed to be going in circles trying to track down suitable sports programs for her son and had spent hours on the phone.

"We do things you don't see in the telephone book," Osmond said.

By involving football, baseball and basketball players to jump-start the programs, Osmond said both boys and girls learn basic skills without team fees, expensive uniforms or exhausting practices.

"We're talking about bringing it right to your doorstep," he said.

The Hayden Pointe Apartments offered Monroe-Moreno office space this year. "We've been working out of my garage for the past year," she said.

Apartment lease manager Jean Amos welcomed the efforts to offer activities to children and adults. The Clark County School District has been offering computer classes and GED credits, she said.

Amos said she started volunteering to serve breakfasts and lunches at the apartments and graduated to the leasing office.

"I have an apartment here and I walk the property every night," Amos said, adding she'll take advantage of the new activities also.