For years, children in Stockton have been begging for more to do.
But, as time flies by, child-friendly venues in the city have dwindled.
In 2005, Golfland and its famous water slides closed. The establishment on Hammer and West lanes was converted into a retail shopping center.
The following year, the popular hangout spot Hammer Skate shuttered. It became a Walgreens Pharmacy after sitting empty for five years.
Then, in 2007, Naughty Nick’s on Benjamin Holt Drive shut its doors. At the time, some teens said the pizza joint was one of the only places left to hang out with friends in Stockton. It was replaced by the 21+ Cameo Club card room.
John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is another closure that shocked and disappointed families. John’s called it quits in Stockton in 2011. The entertainment palace that once stood on March Lane and Pershing Avenue is now an In-Shape gym.
Since those venues called it quits, not many kid-friendly places have filled the void. And young people are hungry for family-friendly things to do. Some local nonprofits have tried to fill the gap by engaging youth and keeping them busy.
That’s not always easy when there’s few options within a short drive.
In May, Stockton City Council pledged $2 million to help nonprofits provide youth services. After a monthslong vetting process, 14 organizations were approved this week by council members to receive grants ranging from $52,500 to $225,000.
The organizations include:
- San Joaquin County Child Abuse Prevention Council: $181,621
- The Amelia Ann Adams Whole Life Center: $223,012
- Children’s Home of Stockton: $225,000
- Women’s Center-Youth & Family Services: $191,599
- Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin: $175,000
- Uplift All Foundation: $86,434
- Read to Me, Stockton!: $52,500
- Improve Your Tomorrow: $144,600
- City Center of San Joaquin: $149,136
- Mary Magdalene Community Services: $150,000
- Concrete Development Inc.: $127,413
- African American Chamber: $143,730
- YMCA of San Joaquin: $150,000
- Inspire Me Inc.: $67,989
‘It sucks being a kid’
Community members packed city hall on Tuesday to voice their support for the selected organizations and the city’s focus on youth programs and development. The agenda item took up more than an hour of public comment time alone.
Christina Peoples, executive director of The Amelia Ann Adams Whole Life Center, urged council members to approve the item and support her organization. She stated that their proposal was centered around the establishment of a youth center that teenagers have advocated for.
“We have a youth group called Youth Thriving Beyond Bars, which is young people that are system impacted or justice impacted,” she said. “We asked them what would create a safe space … our young people said they wanted a studio, they wanted a space where there are trusted adults, they wanted a PS5, and they wanted a place where they could get home-cooked meals. So we created that space for them.”
Irie Woods, a member of the Whole Life Center, said she wanted to advocate for the project because of her previous work with the now-defunct Teen Impact Center.
“Seeing that center get shut down really had an impact on me because it transformed my direction in life and my overall well-being as a person,” Woods said. “Without that opportunity to experience that safe, empowering and nurturing environment as a young teenager, I wouldn’t have developed the emotional awareness, self confidence, and ability to positively lead my community that I have today.”
Woods added that there is a “clear and overwhelming lack of safe and nurturing spaces for youth” in Stockton. She hopes these dollars will change that.
Teen Ely Cook agreed with her.
“As a lot of you guys know and as plenty of people before me have said, there is nothing to do in Stockton,” Cook told council members. “Stockton is just like a vortex of nothing and it sucks being a kid because you’re sitting, doing nothing but staring at four walls at home.”
During a priority setting meeting in February, the council established four top priorities for 2023: work with partners to improve quality of life, increase literacy, develop the workforce, and expand youth programming.
Three months later, council members approved the $2 million in funding and issued a request to allow nonprofits to apply for grant money. A total of 36 local nonprofits applied for a grant, requesting more than $19 million in support, according to Kris Farro, Stockton’s director of community services.
The applications were scored by a review panel, then ranked by the panel’s scores. Applications that received 80 or more points were considered for funding, Farro said.
Mayor Kevin Lincoln called the vote “a full circle moment” for city council this year.
“I’m encouraged because of the courage that all these young people had to come and stand up and speak up, and articulate their passion and their heart, their needs and desires,” Lincoln said. “I’m telling you right now … to me, the future is very bright in Stockton. What’s represented in this room is a catalyst for the type of change we’re going to have as a community.”
District 2 Councilman Dan Wright said he hoped the city could repeat the process next year. He vowed to do anything in his power to make it happen.
“Sometimes we go home from these meetings and we have to stop thinking because everything we deliberated on during the meeting plays hard on our brains. Tonight’s not one of those,” the councilman said. “I’ll go home and sleep very well tonight. I’m proud of the work the city did in creating this NOFA.”
In other action…
- Council approved additional funding for the completion of Stockton’s homeless navigation center. The project was delayed, but it is now expected to be completed in the winter or early spring.
- Council members accepted a $4,299,722 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fire and emergency response. The grant will allow the Stockton Fire Department to hire seven full-time firefighters.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.