Imagine living across the street from a park that is too dangerous to play in....living in a 3 bedroom apartment with 9 other people......having no shoes, schools supplies or school books.
This is the situation in the Northgate Neighborhood in Sacramento, California where 550 youth live on one block near Niño's Park . Generations of Poverty, Addiction, Oppression and Crime have left families feeling hopeless and forgotten.
In 2002 Kacie Stratton, a resident of Sacramento, read an article in the Sacramento Bee newspaper about this situation near Niño's Park and was drawn to serve there. Kacie gathered volunteers from her local church and invited these at-risk children to Niño's Park on the weekends to play games, have a snack and relationships began to form.
After hearing the children's stories, Kacie and her team of volunteers began dreaming. They dreamed about a place where the children and their families could come nurture their minds, bodies, souls and hearts.
February 2003 a holistic community center, The GreenHouse, opened their doors where the children have after school tutoring programs, snacks and recreation. The programs have expanded and grown each year. Today the GreenHouse Community Enrichment Center is transforming lives of children and adults.
In addition to after school tutoring the GreenHouse offers their youth and adults:
- Youth Group For Teens
- Affordable Sports Participation
- Skill Building Workshops
- Summer Day Camp
- Harvest Carnival Family Event
- Melvin's Hope Christmas Project
Kacie Stratton, executive director, the board of directors and the incredible volunteers who give their time and talent to the GreenHouse are living advocates for poverty.
To learn more or donate, visit their website at www.theGreenHouseCenter.org.
Kacie grew up believing with GOD anything is possible. I am her blessed to be her mom. Cathy Lee Waag
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