‘Guys dig dirt’ with children in Merced

Nutrition, agriculture and the importance of male role models were the focus of an event in south Merced on Friday.

Merced County’s Office of Education and Human Services Agency, with help from Merced College, gathered Fairside Head Start students and their families to plant lettuce, kale and other vegetables into take-home pots.

Fathers, uncles, grandfathers, older brothers and any other male role models in the children’s lives were encouraged to take part during the morning session, dubbed “Guys Diggin’ Dirt.” The school also got six new gardens and gardening curriculum after receiving a grant of about $10,000 from the Merced Department of Public Health.

Rockie Xiong, 60, of Merced helped clear a 25-by-25-foot section of the school’s yard, where several men worked to give the grass a face-lift. He said his 4-year-old daughter started at the school this year.

“Part of being in a community is to help each other out,” the father of seven said.

The county Human Services Agency works with fathers all year round through a program called “All Dads Matter,” according to program director Lamar Henderson. The fatherhood program encourages fathers and father figures to be involved in the lives of the children around them, he said, because that will lead to better outcomes for those children.

Henderson said he tells the men in his program that the time they spend with the children makes for lasting memories. “When your hands are in there, digging in the dirt, having fun, laughing – these are the moments they’ll never forget,” he said.

There are 16 Head Start programs throughout the county for children age 3 to 5. Henderson said each site sees special events, like the gardening effort, once or twice a year.

Bryan Tassey, a horticulture instructor from Merced College, gave the children and their families some tips on growing a vegetable garden at home. A few of his students lent an extra hand with the yard project and with the children’s lessons. They also built and installed the six planter boxes.

The youngsters also got lessons on how plants grow, and they talked about eating healthy foods.

John Xiong, 32, of Merced helped his 3-year-old son, Joshua, put his work gloves on before filling the pot with soil. The father of two said he doesn’t dig in the dirt often, so he was glad to learn some new skills while getting involved with his son’s education.

Fairside Head Start and Early Head Start is the largest site in the county with more than 220 children.

Youngsters often see their mothers, aunts and grandmothers at school and in a nurturing role, said Isabel Abundez, the director of Fairside. “It’s important for a child to see the males (involved) in their life too,” she said.

The Head Start program is operated by local nonprofit organizations in almost every county in the country. Children who attend Head Start participate in a variety of educational activities and receive free medical and dental care along with healthy meals and snacks.

This story was originally published October 24, 2014 at 11:06 AM with the headline "‘Guys dig dirt’ with children in Merced."