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The Endeavors Eagle Lake Children’s Center were guest speakers at the Eagle Lake Noon Lions Club meeting last Thursday, Nov. 21.
The center is a permanent shelter program that opened in 2023 with a capacity for 50 teenage boys. Endeavors provides unaccompanied migrant children with a safe, nurturing and supportive environment that is centered on the child’s well-being as they await reunification with family.
During their transition, each child is assigned a case manager.
At this time, Endeavors at Eagle Lake is serving 32 minor boys between the ages of 13-17.
The entire staff who work on various shifts is approximately 90 adults who serve the residents with education, transportation, recreation, medical, mental health, dental and vision care, food service, laundry service, social workers, case managers and other professionals.
The boys have a routine schedule they follow each day. They wake up, make their beds and clean their rooms, getting organized for the day. The children eat breakfast then head to school from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The school has their own curriculum to meet the needs of the students on various levels between middle and High School. English is taught alongside a variety of academic subjects.
Two snacks are served along with a nutritious lunch. After school outdoors sports are enjoyed, especially soccer, until about 5:00 p.m. The boys clean-up before dinner, followed by leisure time from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., reading books, playing board games or watching TV. ‘Lights Out’ is at 9:30.
On weekends enrichment activities are provided such as field trips, visits to the library, and volunteering in the city where help is needed. The goal is to provide experiences to help the kids get used to the community and the American culture. Service projects are planned as well as community outreach. During the summer a group of guys and their leaders helped doing the resurfacing of the Eagle Lake Community Swimming Pool.
Last Christmas the students participated in the City Christmas Tree Decorating Competition. They won First Place for their tree.
Students are usually present at Endeavors for two to three weeks before they are reunited with their parents or guardians. They are immigrants from many countries and are eager to learn all they can while they are at the center.
They have all been vetted before they enter the program, and none of them have criminal records. The staff reports that there have not been any problems and that the students are very appreciative for all they are learning and thankful for all who care for them.
They desire to have a safe life here and a good education. Many express their dreams of going to college and becoming professional businessmen, teachers, doctors or lawyers.
