An Olathe nonprofit organization has unveiled a new resource for outdoor enrichment geared toward young people.
Center of Grace, an organization that aims to meet health and educational needs in the community, opened a new outdoor space for children and teenagers earlier this month.
The space is at 520 South Harrison St.
- Center of Grace is located near downtown Olathe, just off East Grace Street and South Harrison Street.
- The organization started in 1999, as part of the Grace United Methodist Church.
- The outdoor exercise area itself sits behind the building on the northeast side of the property, just off of South Stevenson Drive.
The outdoor space has features for multiple age groups
The outdoor space is free to use and has a playground area for two age groups — one part with equipment geared toward younger children under age 14, and another set of equipment for children ages 14 and up.
The area for younger children entails basic playground equipment, like swings. For the teens, their outdoor activity area has slightly more advanced equipment, like leg presses and curvy monkey bars.
In addition to the playground equipment, the area also has a soccer field, basketball hoops and a shelter area with picnic tables.
For Sylvia Romero, executive director at Center of Grace, the outdoor space has been something of a longtime dream. The goal of it, she said, is to give children a place besides their school playground where they can exercise and spend meaningful time with one another.
“We always wanted kids to have a space where they feel like they can hang out and have different options,” she said. “It’s open to all families in the neighborhood; whoever wants to come and hang out is welcome.”
Center of Grace offers community services
Center of Grace started out as a Missions Outreach Center for Grace United Methodist Church in 1999. In 2016, the organization shifted into an independent nonprofit, now financially independent from the church.
The center is home to numerous educational programs for children, including serving as the host facility for the Boys & Girls Club of Olathe.
Romero said the new outdoor space will create a new resource for children and their families to exercise and connect — without the costs of a gym membership. Even in the past couple of hot weeks, she said, kids have eagerly utilized the equipment on weekends.
“I think (we should do) whatever we can do to just encourage being outdoors together, as a family or as a group of friends,” she said. “When it comes to youth, I want them to know that we’re happy they’re here. That we’re not just saying that, but that we’re investing in them, and that we want them to feel like they belong.”
The center also teams up with various community partners. Most recently, Center of Grace teamed up with AdventHealth South Overland Park, who provided a $35,000 donation to help fund the outdoor space.
Dallas Purkeypile, CEO of AdventHealth South Overland Park, said the project aligned easily with AdventHealth’s mission to encourage health in all forms.
“We want to care for our community outside the four walls of our hospital,” he said. “We do our best to use our resources of influence to assist people in being as healthy as they can be.”
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