They've made it a citywide cause in the ethnically diverse suburb of Minneapolis. Children First is the city's call for residents to think about the ways, big and small, they can help all kids succeed, from those living in the city's Meadowbrook housing project to residents of parkside ranch houses. The suburb's largest employer, HealthSystem Minnesota, runs a free kids' health clinic. And one of the smallest businesses, Steve McCulloch's flower shop, gives away carnations to kids in the nearby housing project on Mother's Day. Kids even help each other.
Parents can drop off their kids for three hours.
The goal is to make sure kids know that they are valued and that several adults outside their own family know and care about them. Those adults might include a police officer volunteering to serve lunch in the school cafeteria line. Or Jill Terry, one of scores of volunteers who stand at school bus stops on frigid mornings. Terry breaks up fights, provides forgotten lunch money or reassures a sad-faced boy about his parents' fighting. Another volunteer, Kyla Dreier, works in a downtown law firm and mentors Angie Larson.