Where a Kid Can Be a Kid
Beginning Monday, September 9th, just three days after Dorian destroyed homes and businesses on the island with an historic storm surge, Juju Baker found a way to help her community by doing what she does best. She's the pied piper of Ocracoke and the kids will follow her anywhere.
"I'm working today on putting together a place for kids to be during the day... it will be at the Ocracoke Child Care... ages 3 & up, 12:30-4...one day at a time..." she posted on Facebook. "It's how I can be of the most help in this nightmare.
When I stopped by, Ocracoke Child Care was alive with the sounds of 40 or 50 kids running around on the playground, playing on the porch, and hanging out in the classrooms.
"Inside we've got the teenagers hanging out – they get to watch a movie 'cause it's Friday," Juju told me. "In the middle room we've got the colorers, the LEGO builders, and outside are the climbers and diggers."
Juju offered to let the teens help out, and each day she's had more big kids than little ones. All ages needed a break.
"I don't like rules," she said. "This is all open free play, and the freedom of it is so nice. There's only one rule: Be nice to each other. If you're not nice, you can't come. And believe me, they all want to be here."
Ocracoke School PTA president Laura McClain and former teacher Karen Lovejoy helped Juju organize the community playdates at the daycare building. It's one of the few places that's appropriate for kids and also high and dry. Karen and Laura help corral the kiddos along with Ellice Arn-Oelschlegel, Jetta Bamford and Jeanie Owens.
"The kids really needed this after two days of clean-up after the storm," Laura explained. "It's not daycare, it's a playdate, a place for kids to be and have fun. And it's for the parents, too. They can drop off their kids and go home and throw toys away without them there."
It's true. Some of the kids cavorting around squealing and shouting come from homes where they lost everything: toys, clothes, books, bed, furniture. Theses kids witnessed the flood; some families had to be rescued from their one-story homes while others took shelter on second floors and in attics. All of the kids face some loss; their parents are dealing with damaged homes, cars, and businesses. Many parents will be without work for months. Many of these kids are displaced, living with relatives or friends, their parents looking for longterm housing while their homes are gutted and repaired.
You wouldn't know all that, seeing them play. The kids are having fun, and that lifts the spirits of the whole community.
"It makes people happy to see us here," Juju said. "People drive by and smile and wave. We have visitors in and out all day. The deputies were here playing football. The Red Cross brought us food."
Others like to stop by to bring treats or fun stuff for the kids. Joseph Ramunni and Lauren Strohl brought toys from the Community Store and their friends brought pizza and donuts. Daniela Gilbert and Edith Trejo brought pizza from Sorella's the following week.
Ocracoke Child Care closed in 2017 and the building usually sits empty, but in the face of a major disaster, it was open and brimming with life and laughter.
On the first day, the kids painted an #OcracokeStrong mural with all their handprints. The next day they painted one to hand at the Fire House that reads "Ocracoke Loves You." It's their thank you to all the volunteers from on and off the island who are working to rebuild their community.
"I remembered there's one more rule," Juju said as I was leaving. "They have to hug Ms. Juju. It's what gets me through the day."
Ms. Juju hosted pop-up playdates at Ocracoke Child Care for eight days in the immediate aftermath of the storm. At that point the dormant septic system at OCC started acting up; it'll be fixed in time for the building to host Ocracoke School Pre-K – 1st grade classes beginning September 30th.
