Bristol park system steps up to assist families

Leah Malinowski, right, shares a laugh with Aubrey Minkler of Bristol Parks Recreation Youth and Community Services. Malinowski is the recipient of a recent BPRYCS summer scholarship for her children to attend the parks system's summer camp. | Donovan Wilson

Posted By: Donovan Wilson June 27, 2023

By Donovan Wilson

Leah Malinowski is a single mother of two and Bristol Park, Recreation, Youth & Community Services is doing their part to make that as easy as it can be, especially after some additional stress on the family after a divorce.

A paraprofessional with Bristol Public Schools and mother to Jayla Malinowski, 15, and Logan Gosselin,11, Malinowski and her family have been the beneficiary of several BPRYCS services.

“Her son came up to me at a football practice and just spewed it all out and I offered our assistance,” said Aubrey Minkler, BPRYCS community services coordinator.

Following the conversation, Minkley said, BPRYCS assisted with filling out all of the right paperwork and being shown programs that benefited not only Malinowski but also her kids.

Malinowski credited the organization’s services as “playing a big part on how I was able to maintain getting back on my own feet.”

“They really let the kids know that their community loves them,” Malinowski said.

An example of one of the many events that Bristol Park, Recreation, Youth & Community Services puts on not only for the benefit of Malinowksi and her kids but for other families like them was “Shop with A Cop.”

“Shop with A Cop” collects a bunch of officers from Bristol Police Department and pairs them up with kids for a shopping spree at target. The police officers escort the families to the target after a pizza party and the kids were given $150 to buy whatever they wanted.

“We had guys from the police station who don’t necessarily smile in the lipstick aisle and were learning about K-Pop,” said Minkler.

“These kids are from adverse backgrounds and don’t always have male role models and may have not been necessarily looking forward to Christmas so everyone left crying.”

One thing that majorly impacted Malinowksi and her kids was the scholarship that Bristol Park, Recreation, Youth & Community Services awarded them for the park’s summer programs.

Logan enrolled in a horsemanship program in partnership with Shephard Meadows Equestrian Center on Chippens Hill, which allowed Logan to spend time with therapy horses and, through that experience, have help processing the emotions he was going through.

Logan and Jayla both participated in the summer camps that the organization held in summer of 2022 at Bristol Eastern High School.

Jayla participated in the Teen Adventure Camp which took kids aged 10-17 into the neighborhood and on field trips to explore. Logan participated in the Summer Fun Camp which took younger kids and brought them to activities like the pool and bowling. Both of these programs ran for a week.

Malinowski talked highly about the impact that this scholarship had on the kids and how it was great for them to be around like-minded kids and even kids they knew from school. She mentioned, specifically, how nervous Jayla was but how actually experiencing it and going through it was great for her in the end.

“They’re amazing and encouraging, just a good support group,” said Malinowski in regard to Bristol Park, Recreation, Youth & Community Services.

For more information about BPRYCS programs, including financial assistance, click here.

All TBE readers, supporters and donors                

The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.                

  • Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
  • Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
  • Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.                

Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.