March 2022

The Historic Salem Courthouse Preservation Assocation is celebrating its 20 th
anniversary this year. It has served as an organization dedicated to preserving and
restoring the 1869 courthouse, but it is much more than that. The Courthouse
campus has become a lively place full of arts and educational programs, and is the
site of a thriving community garden, commercial kitchen and thrift shop. Since the
stewardship of the building transferred to the HSCPA in 2002, the organization has
aspired to make The Courthouse a true community center.
The most significant community project sponsored by The Courthouse has been
Lunch, Learn & Play (LLP), also celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year. It started
at the Methodist Church in Salem in the summer of 2002 with a wonderful goal: to
provide lunch to kids who normally receive it at school and to fill the gap when kids
are prone to slip academically. The first year they served about 20 students, three
days a week for two hours a day. The program moved to The Courthouse in 2006
and last year there were about 170 kids, Kindergarten-9 th, for five weeks, five days a
week, six hours a day. The free program is heavy on dedicated volunteers, but does
include some paid staff. It is funded by the generosity of the Shoppe Off Broadway,
several grants, many local business and private donations.
LLP has evolved over the years as the age range and timeframe have expanded and
new partners have been engaged, but lunch every day is a mainstay. The goals are to
provide activities, which are both physically and mentally stimulating, and
opportunities for socialization and developmental progress, all in a safe, caring, fun
and peaceful environment. Kindergarteners have their own program and get to
spend some time with their future Salem teachers. Grades 7-9 participate in a drama
camp at the Fort Salem Theater, a short walk from The Courthouse. Last summer
they performed “Schoolhouse Rock” at the end of the session.
Grades 1-6 are involved in an array of activities. There are trips to Lake Lauderdale,
Hudson Crossing Park and Salem Art Works and visits to local businesses and farms
for tours and projects. Many visitors share their passions and expertise with the
kids, like fly fishing, woodworking, music, art, birding, yoga and dance, to name a
few. The local rescue squad, fire department, public works and sheriff devote time
to sharing stories and demonstrations of their equipment. Gardening, cooking, lots
of outdoor games and a weekly walk to the library, round out the session. Agencies
such as Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Council for Prevention present
programs too.
Opportunities for growth don’t end with the 9 th grade. Paid counselor positions are
available to high school and college students. Some work with the community
action agency, LEAP, to hone their employment skills and the Salem School Career
Development office also assists with the application process. The counselors are
trained, mentored and evaluated and provide essential supervision at LLP. The

experience is a great source for letters of reference for college and employment and
helps lay a foundation for success in the future.
Thanks to LLP, the Courthouse is not just a place where the community goes to
attend a program. It cultivates community. LLP connects people across generations,
local businesses, service organizations, the school, library and more. It is a human
network united by a common purpose: the well-being of their children. They share
the pride of agency as they all contribute to LLP. In turn, the children feel a sense of
belonging, they develop meaningful relationships with a wide variety of adults, as
well as their peers, and they feel supported and valued. They learn the importance
of civic engagement and they sustain the community by going on to be the LLP
volunteers and counselors of the future.