Teens tackle service projects around Salem this summer
Four years ago CARECorp youth volunteers helped start the transformation of a small house, La Casita, into a community hub in the Lansing neighborhood, and now they're doing it again in West Salem.
This past week, teens collected books for the children's library, filled cracks on the garage floor and made plans to install a keyboard made of PVC pipe in the music room of Nuestra Casa, a three-bedroom house in the Edgewater district. "This library is going to help kids be invested in their futures, and I love that," said 16-year-old volunteer Kha Water.
It's a small fraction of the work Dream Center needs to launch the hub, but it's a start. The remodeling project is just one of several that youth will work on during a three-week camp that ends this week. In all 50 teens will tackle service projects around Salem as part of the fourth CARECorps summer camp.
It's a collaboration of the city of Salem, Salem-Keizer Education Foundation, Salem-Keizer School District and the nonprofit Isaac's Room. Local nonprofits pitch their projects, and the participating youth decide their favorites. South Salem Connect provides $100 grants to each of the five teams to spend if they secure a matching donation from local businesses.
This year students will build a nature trail, install raised beds and create a children's play area at Brown Road Park. They'll also create a children's library and dance and performance space at Nuestra Casa and redesign the living room at IKE House, a space for at-risk youth.
The city recruits high school freshman from AVID, a program that helps Salem-Keizer students become the first in their families to go to college. CARECorps helps campers connect with others from their new school. "The idea is that the camp is a bridge for incoming freshman to meet upperclassmen from their same school for an easier transition into high school," said Laurie Shaw with the city of Salem and CARECorps.
Freshman Elizabeth Garibay-Diaz, 14, will go to McKay High School this fall, but now she's working with her team to build raised beds and a children's play area at Brown Road Park. In middle school, Diaz and her friends from AVID were close, she said, almost like family. She's starting to feel a similar connection at CARECorps. "Even though it's only been eight days," she said, "I believe we have all connected really well, and it's fun to meet people before I start high school."
The camp also gives teens a chance to lead. Juliet Hewitt, 17, participated in the camp as an incoming freshman four years ago, and now she's back as a team leader. She remembers working on her first project, La Casita, a community hub in the Lansing neighborhood, and thinking, "Wow! I actually did something cool for the community."
"I thought it would be a good experience to be a leader," she said. "I'm the youngest of three so I have never been a leader." She's learning to lead by example, keeping a positive attitude, working hard and not losing energy even when she's logging long hours in the sun. Some of the youth leaders get stipends, thanks to an $18,000 grant from Salem-Keizer School District, while others volunteer.
College students mentor the teens during the camp. This year CARECorps had the highest participation rate since it started four years ago.
sknowlto@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6735
2014 CAREcorps service projects
McNary and Sprague high schools: Renovate music/toddler room and dance/performing arts space at Nuestra Casa, an upcoming community hub in West Salem.
North and West Salem high schools: Build a nature trail, plant flowers to attract bees, build a bench and improve the Brown's Road Park.
Early College High School: Create a children's library at Nuestra Casa, an upcoming community hub in West Salem.
South Salem High School: Redesign the Ike House family room to include seating for 15 to 20 youth working to develop healthy life habits.
McKay High School: Build a kids play area and raised beds with plants to nibble at Brown's Road Park.
Stefanie Knowlton
Source: CAREcorps, 19 July 2014
