Family-Friendly Experiences Await Camden Residents with Connect the Lots

CAMDEN – Danielle Jackson says she loves sharing details of her ”passion projects” with others.

“I am a poet and a writer and a local school board member,” the Camden resident told TAPinto Camden. “I am (often) in a mobile library (or) in a bookstore. I am all things literacy.”

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Therefore, when Camden, the Camden Community Partnership and the other organizers and sponsors of “Connect the Lots” – an initiative they called a “variety of fun, family-friendly outdoor recreational activities, special events and educational programs designed to engage residents and activate vacant and underutilized spaces throughout the city” – approached Jackson earlier this year to recite her own poetry and teach others about it, she said she readily answered yes.

“I hope that people find a better way to communicate and express themselves… and to be free in all of their creative outlets and love one another more,” she said of her “Connect the Lots” role.

Jackson was one of several speakers at a news conference held in front of City Hall on Tuesday, May 14, to discuss the specifics of this year’s “Connect the Lots” initiative. Dana Redd, president and CEO of the Camden Community Partnership and another speaker at the event, said the event has grown over the 10 years it has been held.

“This simple yet impactful idea… has blossomed into a series of summer events,” she said. “We know that the “Connect the Lots” season is truly a celebration of our great city, of our residents and its vibrant history and culture and that is why we are so excited to be here.” As she spoke, representatives from “We Live Here,” a Camden-based artist collective, painted a mural as an example of a “Connect the Dots” program.

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Other events include lunchtime concerts, outdoor movie nights, cooking challenges, kayaking trips on the Cooper River, art crawls and talent shows and the full “Connect the Lots” schedule, which can be found at www.ctlcamden.com/events-calendar , according to organizers. The initiative kicked off in April and will run through October. Events will be held in various locations throughout the city to maximize resident participation, according to Redd and Jackson.

Another “Connect the Lots” participant, Camden musician Charles Giddins III – who performs under the name CG3 – said he hoped his role in the initiative would help others realize their city's and their own potential.

“An opportunity like this will help our community grow and be stronger together,” he said. “If you are young and watching (these events), do the best that you can do and do not limit yourself.”

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