A playground of their own Volunteers build play space for kids in transitional housing TINTON FALLS - Monmouth County children who are in transitional housing, many of whom have never been to a playground, now have one to call their own. On Wednesday, May 16, community volunteers and more than 200 employees of Home Depot, Six Flags Great Adventure and KaBOOM descended upon the Monmouth County Linkages Transitional Housing site to build a state-of-the-art playground. Linkages provides housing for homeless mothers and their children. The 2,600-square-foot playground is funded through a $47,200 grant from The Home Depot and Six Flags, along with $10,000 contribution from Easter Seals New Jersey. The project is part of KaBOOM and The Home Depot's effort to create and refurbish 1,000 play spaces in 1,000 days. KaBOOM is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. In the last 10 years, the organization has used its community-build model to construct more than 1,100 playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff More than 200 volunteers pitched in to construct a playground for children living at the Monmouth County Linkages transitional housing facility in Tinton Falls May 16. The Monmouth County Linkages Transitional Housing program, off Route 33, is operated by Easter Seals of New Jersey and funded by a Monmouth County grant. The Linkages program assists homeless mothers with the tools necessary to cope with the demands of motherhood, find employment, finish their education and provide a stable home life for themselves and their children. Prior to the construction of the park, a design day was held to gather input from families living onsite in order to start planning the project. Linkages children drew pictures of their dream playground, and families voted on which equipment they would like to see included in the final project. - Linda DeNicola