Kids who attend the Open Sky Clubhouse from July 14-18 are given new socks and shoes for free. One of the volunteers helped a kid try on a pair of new shoes. (Photo by Anna Sneed)

PARKERSBURG — Open Sky Arts Collective returned to the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church for their Open Sky Clubhouse from July 14-18 to help the kids in the area. Since 2015, Open Sky has been coming all the way from Dallas, TX to the pink church in Parkersburg as an outreach program for underserved children.

Founded in 2014, Executive Director Jeanna Vance started the program in Texas to teach kids about the arts and the Bible.

Vance has about 12 years of traveling dance instruction experience and support from a crew of volunteers who are also devoted to the mission and the arts.

“We got an invitation from Parkersburg 11 years ago and when we arrived, I realized that there really needs to be something here for the kids in this neighborhood,” said Vance.

Vance said the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, also known locally as “the pink church,” donated the space to them for a week.

Donors from all across the country are donating money to the Open Sky Arts Collective so that kids in underserved areas can have access to free meals and hygiene products. The money is used to purchase new shoes and socks for the kids to have. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, kids ages 6-12 are encouraged to join the fun. Vance and a few of the volunteers said they’ll parade around a six block radius every morning and gather the kids who want to come. She said each day more and more kids join and they usually have anywhere from 45-90 a week.

Vance said that the event has gained momentum over the years and they now have hundreds of donors all across the nation.

“We have professional dancers and musical theatre artists that come from across the nation just to teach here,” said Vance.

The volunteers are dancers and artists who come from Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, just to name a few. Vance said many of the volunteers come back each year but they go through background checks and a thorough interview process to ensure all volunteers are fit for the environment.

“In all of the classes that we’re teaching we’re also teaching kids about Jesus and how he loves each and every one of them,” said Vance. “We’re working it into normal everyday things without getting too religious like how to treat one another and handle conflicts.”

The kids who attend the Open Sky Clubhouse also participate in arts and crafts during their time at the event. The kids participate in a variety of activities throughout the week like dance, soccer, and crafts. (Photo by Anna Sneed)

Open Sky is funded entirely from non-corporate donors and raises around $40,000 to support the event. All of the donated money goes towards purchasing necessities for the kids like new shoes, socks, clothes, hygiene products and food.

The kids are divided into groups where they rotate between arts and crafts indoors and then sports on the lawn outside.

“One of our volunteers who trained in New York City and danced all over the world happened to be a serious soccer player so we added soccer about five years ago,” said Vance.

The volunteers engage with the kids during all activities throughout the week. The kids were also served breakfast and lunch followed by a snack before they were walked back to their houses at 2 p.m.

“Many of our volunteers and kids keep coming back because of the relationships we’ve built with them,” said Vance.

About five years ago, the Open Sky Clubhouse introduced sports like soccer to the event after one of the volunteers/dancers offered to teach the activity. The kids enjoyed a game of soccer on the lawn Wednesday at the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com.

Open Sky Clubhouse also includes free breakfasts, lunches, and snacks for the kids throughout the day. The volunteers provided fresh meals that included protein, fruits, and vegetables. (Photo by Anna Sneed)

The volunteers at the Open Sky Clubhouse prepared a fresh lunch on Wednesday for the kids during their break. The meal included chicken nuggets, fries, and grapes which the kids enjoyed. (Photo by Anna Sneed)

The kids who attended the Open Sky Clubhouse enjoyed activities like soccer on the lawn at the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. The event took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from July 14-18. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Before 10 a.m. each day, the volunteers with Open Sky Arts Collective walk around the neighborhood near the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church to gather kids to attend the Open Sky Clubhouse July 14-18. (Photo by Anna Sneed)

The kids at Open Sky Clubhouse get the opportunity to express themselves through arts and crafts and meet other kids that live in their area. The kids engage in anything from coloring to crafts during their time at the Clubhouse which is located at the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. (Photo by Anna Sneed)