Salvation Army hosts second Kidz Klub Block Party this Thursday

Williamsport, Pa. — The Salvation Army Williamsport Corps , under the leadership of Major Sheryl A. Hershey, is hosting the second of a series of summer Kidz Klub Family Block Parties this Thursday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Salvation Army held its first block party of the summer on June 20. The third and final summer block party will be held on Aug. 15.

July activities will include a dunk tank, carnival games, craft-making, Bible-story time, and planting seeds/learning about gardening at The Salvation Army’s Community Garden & Urban Farm.

A free picnic-style lunch, free popcorn, and free (Ziggy’s & Aaron’s) water ice will also be available to participants while supplies last.

The party will be held on Green St. between Park Ave. and High St., adjacent to the Salvation Army Community Garden at 724 Park Ave.

The new Kidz Klub Family Block Party Program was designed to provide free, engaging summer activities for local children and increase community awareness about and use of the Salvation Army's Community Garden and Urban Farm.

The Salvation Army's Community Garden has been flourishing for the last nine years through a land lease agreement with UPMC Williamsport. It provides local residents with plots of land, educational opportunities, and related resources to grow their own produce. In addition, Salvation Army volunteers plant, tend to, and harvest from the urban farm, providing approximately 2,000 pounds of free produce and herbs to the public each year. The farm helps to combat food insecurity while also promoting healthy eating.

The event hosts note that anyone planning to drive to the event should use nearby on-street parking and should not use the UPMC or YMCA parking lots. For pedestrian safety, the span of Green Street between Park Ave. and High St. will be closed to through-traffic from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Block Party days.