Christa Russell has spent a lot of time around children.
“I’ve been babysitting since I was 12,” Russell said.
Russell has continued to babysit but now she has another job where she has to look after children.
For the past three months or so, Russell has been working with the Cottonwood Parks and Recreation Department, helping to work with kids who take advantage of the department’s afterschool programs.
Last Thursday afternoon, Russell was sitting at a picnic table at Garrison Park while a handful of kids in the program played nearby.
It’s not all play for the kids, who Russell said are generally between the ages of 6 and 12.
“We make sure they do their homework,” Russell said.
Russell lives in Clarkdale and considers herself an Arizona native, having arrived here in the Grand Canyon State at the age of 6 months.
“It’s a nice little community,” Russell said.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, Nov. 19, edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
