Tiffany Revelle
Staff Writer
CLEARLAKE ? Back-to-school never sounded so sweet for the budget-challenged. Not only is the Lake County Community Action Agency giving away backpacks and school supplies to the county”s underprivileged children, but the newest organization under its auspices offers low-cost after school care.
A youth club run much like a Boys and Girls Club of America is one of two programs the newly formed Lake County Youth Services (LCYS) provides. It is open to kids ages six to 18, and offers computers with online access equipped with parental blocks, a room with foosball, pool and ping-pong tables, as well as a quiet area for reading and board games, along with a host of other activities for kids.
And it”s a steal at a $25 monthly membership fee per child, or $50 monthly per family, says LCCAA Director Georgina Lehne. But apparently, not everyone in the county agrees.
To drum up needed membership, LCYS is offering a free backpack to anyone who signs up, according to One-on-One Mentoring Project Director Bea Garcia.
“In order for this to exist, we have to have kids participate; we need people to either volunteer or sign up for the membership,” said Lehne, explaining that so far no one is signed up for the club.
Just getting such a youth club up and running in the county has been no easy feat, said Lehne. The center opened its doors Aug. 1 after a year of dreaming and planning.
Lehne explained that because of federal requirements for participation and money usage required at the national level, Boys and Girls Club of America could not come to Lake County and maintain those requirements locally under that name. So its board chair approached her board about a year ago and asked LCCAA to be the lead agency in a cooperative effort to bring services to local youth.
LCYS is the newly founded organization that combines what used to be the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program, which she said has been in the county for 27 years, and the local debut of the Boys and Girls Club of America program. It offers both the “Hot Spot” youth club in Clearlake and the One-on-One Mentoring program.
The youth club hosts a variety of activities, including overnight and three-day summer camps, a community garden, mountain hikes and dances for teens at the center every other Friday night, according to LCYS” mission statement.
But in addition to membership, the club needs volunteers to pass a background check and man the fort as kids while away the after-school hours in the safety of a fun and educational environment. LCYS currently has two staffers overseeing the two programs.
“There”s no Outrageous Waters, no place for kids to have good clean fun,” said Lehne. “This is a place for kids to go and have fun with other kids and be in a nice safe environment while parents are working.” And it doesn”t hurt that it”s so cheap, either.
For those whose budget won”t allow the monthly fee, Lehne said there is an option that kills two birds with one stone. Parents may volunteer their time in the center in lieu of the monthly fee.
Lehne noted that the backpacks to be loaded with school supplies for underprivileged kids would require proof of income in order to ensure that they go to those who need them. A donation from Stephen and Angela Carter made the backpack giveaway possible for the second year in a row. Donations of school supplies or money for school supplies are still needed, said Lehne. For more information about how to get a backpack and school supplies or to donate, call LCCAA at 995-2920. For more information about the youth club or mentoring programs, call LCYS at 994-7281.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
