The little kids had never seen live animals before.  This was a live, hands-on experience and unique opportunity for the 70+ pre-schoolers from low-income families, at the Queens Daughters Day Care Center on Buena Vista Avenue. 
 
The young animals included a calf, sheep, goat, pig, ducks, goose, turkey as well as chickens, rabbits, and large guinea pigs.  They were positioned on the grassy playground on leashes with stakes or in cages while the children learned about each animal and were encouraged to pet and feed them. Quiver Farms in Pennsylvania brought the young farm animals to the Center. 
 
Club President Mahbub Ahmad, Secretary Peggy Murphy, Past President Rev. J Loren Russell and Club Members Bina and Sandy mingled with the children and saw for themselves the excitement among the children.  President Ahmad said, “The Rotary Club was pleased to be able to help the children get the rewarding opportunity of playing with the live animals.  Preschool is a child’s first experience in a structured setting with teachers and groups of children. It’s an opportunity to learn to share, follow instructions, and begin the foundation for learning that will occur in later years.”
 
The Rotary Club grant to the QDDCC was part of the 2016 grants to 10 local community service organizations.
 
Barbara Berrios, Executive Director of the Center, was at hand speaking to the excited children about the animals.  “Our curriculum of teaching and reading animals and farm life will be greatly enhanced by this hands-on experience.”  She said individual photos of each child will be taken with their favorite animal and photos of all the animals will be laminated and labeled and used as classroom teaching tools to benefit the students for years to come.  She thanked the Rotary Club of Yonkers-East Yonkers for the grant which made this project possible.
 
The Queen’s Daughters Day Care Center is a 12-month, full day early childhood learning center, serving the community since 1903, providing day care and education to the children, aged 18 months to 5 years, from low-income working families.
 
The Rotary Club of Yonkers-East Yonkers was chartered in 1920 and has provided opportunities for education, built classrooms and playgrounds, helped almost eradicate Polio, and sent books to Costa Rican children, among other actions. Locally, the Club has given out scholarships, pencils, dictionaries and books, and provided grants to local community organizations for projects benefiting youth, seniors and the community.  The Club also built a playground in Yonkers School 9.