Giving kids a safe place to be, to get help with homework, to get a bite to eat, to just hang out with friends and relax … that was the goal for the Escalon Youth Center.
Mission accomplished.
The center was the site of a 10-year anniversary celebration on Saturday, Aug. 8 with longtime volunteers, workers who were there for the initial project more than 10 years ago, and past and current staff members all joining in.
It was a project brought forth by the late Pastor Jim Davis, who was serving as Pastor at Trinity Church at the time and seized on the idea of developing a Youth Center at the site of the old Escalon Motel.
Ultimately, the church was able to buy the property, tear down much of the condemned motel and bring new life and new hope to the corner at Escalon and Yosemite avenues.
The center is at 1328 Escalon Ave., and is open during the school year, Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m.
Center manager Madison Lovins is entering her third year at the helm.
“It’s a lot of fun, I was here from the very start of building the Youth Center and when Todd (original manager Todd O’Neill) was manager, he was my leader in youth group and then being able to now be the director and take over Todd’s position has just been a huge blessing,” Lovins said.
She added that they can see anywhere from 30 to 75 students during the school day and occasionally even more. Lovins is the only paid staff member but does have a group of adult volunteers that work a variety of shifts.
High school students can come for lunch; both middle and high school students can utilize the center after school.
“I think it’s building relationships with all the students,” Lovins said about what she enjoys most in her role as the center manager. “They come in telling me about their day, some will cry with me, some will come in trying to make my day better, telling jokes, all of it, so I just love building those relationships with them.”
Saturday’s event was a lot like a family reunion, volunteers sharing memories of building the facility from the ground up, some still working a shift to help keep the doors open.
Original manager Todd O’Neill offered some history on how the Youth Center came to be and there were several special awards presented to a number of volunteers during the afternoon as well. Look for a list of those recognized, in addition to photos, in the Aug. 19 issue of The Times.
Also offering words of encouragement and support was Maria Valenzuela, aide to District 5 San Joaquin County Supervisor Robert Rickman, presenting a special certificate to the center on its 10-year anniversary.
There was music, some water games for kids, face painting and a trio of food options set up outside, with Da Pizza Xperience, Tacos de Nieve, and Kona Ice all on hand for the afternoon celebration.
Miss Escalon and her court were in attendance as well, along with Little Mr. and Little Miss Escalon.
