According to a recent Sun Herald article, children living in a HOPE VI subdivision in East Biloxi, MS, could soon be getting a new playground.
An August letter from Delmar Robinson, chairman of the Biloxi Housing Authority, to Mayor A. J. Holloway suggested that a recent donation of playground equipment from the city’s Boomtown Casino could best be used in the southern side of the HOPE VI Bayou subdivision.
Currently, the northern side of the HOPE VI Bayou subdivision has a playground that was built by KaBOOM! volunteers. KaBOOM! is an organization whose mission is to provide playgrounds within walking distance for every child in America. According to overall findings of a study conducted by the Asset-Based Community Development Institute of Northwestern University, the KaBOOM! community-build process creates a lasting impact on neighborhoods served – in terms of building capacity and enhanced community pride – in addition to enriching the overall play experience of the children.
Recognizing the impact this playground could have on neighborhood children, Robinson said, “The difference between this playground equipment being place here as opposed to anywhere else in East Biloxi is that we have a concentration of residents who have children who would certainly use the equipment. It would be directly in their neighborhood.”