SHAFTER, Calif. (KERO) — To celebrate Community Action Month, the Community Action Partnership of Kern is celebrating 60 years of helping Kern residents. 23ABC took the opportunity to highlight the Shafter Youth Center and what it does for the community.
- 23ABC spoke with Angie Nelson, who has helped residents in the Shafter area at CAPK's Shafter Youth Center for 12 years. Nelson highlighted the SYC's after-school and summer youth programs, as well as other programs like economic assistance programs, exercise opportunities, and much more.
- To learn more about CAPK programs and what's going on at the Shafter Youth Center, be sure to check out CAPK's Website.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
When you think of the Community Action Partnership of Kern, what comes to mind for you? It's more than likely food distribution, right? I'm Sam Hoyle, your Shafter neighborhood reporter at the Shafter Youth Center and CAPK does so much more than that, and they've been helping residents across the county for six decades now.
According to Angie Nelson, program manager for the Shafter Youth Center, they provide youth services like after-school and summer programs.
Nelson noted it's one of the highlights of the facility because the kids have access to a variety of things like a STEM lab, homework help, and much more.
"Some really like painting, some like the free drawing, some like just the sports, some like the computer stuff for the stem. So we have a little something for everyone. And we try to gear our activities towards what their interests so it's not all just boring stuff," said Nelson.
23ABC was invited to come hang out at one of the after-school sessions on Monday, and in talking with one of the students they said they loved (INSERT ANECDOTE HERE)
"I like making new friends here. I like talking to people. And I like the fun activities that they let us do."
"I feel that I am safe and that I can trust this place"
However, the name "Shafter Youth Center" is a bit of a misnomer. Absolutely, CAPK holds a plethora of youth-based programs there, but they also host and offer plenty of other opportunities for adults as well like economic assistance programs, citizenship classes, and a computer lab.
Nelson says one of the reasons she's been at this for over a decade and why many of the staff work with the non-profit is because they find the importance of helping their community in many different ways..
"There's times that people come toward or looking for a resource that we don't have, and we'll help them find that resource as well. It doesn't have to be just the cap case service that we refer them to. But we — I think between my staff and I; we do have a passion for helping community and helping other people," said Nelson.
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