“I’ve seen a lot of positive changes over the past 21 years since I’ve been here. And that’s due to collaboration, as well as strong local leadership across all sectors to support our young people and their families.”
We recently spoke with Louie Lopez, Community Coordinator of Children, Youth and Families in Longmont – a grantee of the Community Foundation’s Community Trust fund. He shared with us the impact of the youth center, and how it’s making a difference.
For more than 30 years, Children, Youth and Families has supported Longmont youth and their families. We’re lucky to be our own entity, not simply a youth division of a recreation center, a church, or even a police department, as is commonly the case in other cities.
It’s important to provide support early on through young adulthood. That’s why our range of services starts with toddlers, and aims to empower children, youth, and families to be active and responsible members of our community.
In addition to the services we provide in-house, we collaborate with – and act as an in-between among – other agencies that provide youth services, from mental health support services and teen pregnancy prevention programs, to working with schools, and Boulder and Longmont municipal courts. Whether we’re talking about gang intervention and suppression, and changing the culture that breeds gangs, or after-school drop-in programs, summer programs, free meal programs, homework clubs, college prep, or support for youth who are homeless – we bring resources together and work together as a team.
There are many other benefits to having our own center – we even have a music studio (Youth Original Recording Studio, or YOURS), and a range of structured programs for youth focusing on the arts, dance, music, and more. Every step of the way, we make sure to involve youth themselves, and to really hear and give power to their voices.
Thanks to the buy-in and engagement of local government, we’re enabled to be innovative in our outreach, and in the way we involve parents in community events and as volunteers – it’s all geared to strengthening community life, leaning on each other like family, and empowerment.
I’m so proud of our youth, many of whom have learned what it means to show up, to be out in front, to advocate for your values – whether that means DACA demonstrations or standing up for other immigration concerns. Together, we’re facing our community’s challenges head-on, hopefully with ripple effects across the country.
I’ve seen a lot of positive changes over the past 21 years since I’ve been here. And that’s due to collaboration, as well as strong local leadership across all sectors to support our young people and their families.
