2021 COMBAT Funding: $45,0000.00

In Whatsoever's Own Words

Services Offered After School & During Summer Months

During the school year the program is offered Monday through Friday and some weekends. Times for the program are 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  During the summer program the program is offered Monday through Friday and some weekends, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The goals of our youth program at Whatsoever is to provide a place and resources for our community youth/young adults to overcome the risk factors that are a part of their daily lives. By the use of proven protective factors such as opportunities for pro-social behavior, positive relationships with adults, resistance to peer pressure (especially negative pressure) and educational success, Whatsoever strives to reverse the negative cycle of violence and drug/alcohol abuse our youth are involved in on a daily basis.

With the uncertainty of the school year due to COVID Whatsoever has provided educational and mentoring activities earlier in the day (7:00 a.m.) for youth who need the assistance.

Embodying Prevention

Prevention: the act or practice of stopping something bad from happening; the act of preventing something (Webster's Dictionary)  

Whatsoever Community Center's Youth Services program has taken to this practice for decades.  As documented by COMBAT’s crime statistics, Whatsoever is surrounded by areas designated as “Hot Spots.”  Our goal is to change that;  prevention is the key to doing so.

Unfortunately the area around Whatsoever is not as safe as we would like.  Gun shots, violent acts and drug use are not uncommon events around our center.   

More Than 105 Years Of Service

For over 105 years Whatsoever has been a beacon for our community members. Whatsoever mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our youth and their families to grow in a positive manner.  

Some of the protective factors noted by the Prevention Institute are caring and nurturing mentors, educational competency and positive encouragement and acceptance by peers.   Our youth services programming is designed to provide these protective factors for our youth.  For our youth to bond with staff we feel there needs to be a trust with our mentors.  The vast majority of our families in our community are minorities.

Staff All Bi-lingual

Our youth staff has or is currently living in the Whatsoever area. All are bi-lingual. By supporting educational growth with tutoring, homework help and continuing after the first year of our Robotics club, we support positive educational growth. By team building in the after school/summer program and our amateur boxing program we stress the positive encouragement by peers.

Whatsoever's youth program is designed to be available for youth during the critical after school/summer hours.  Starting directly after school and lasting late into the evening with amateur boxing we strive to provide a safe and nurturing place for youth to be a partner in positive growth activities.

Focusing On Trauma Support

Providing support for individuals dealing with trauma stemming from violence can come in many forms.   According to the Trauma Informed Care Project, which referenced the Adverse Childhood Experiences Program, support from social connections is a huge factor for resiliency.  The Youth Services Program at Whatsoever is unique in the manner that the parents of our youth are familiar with the staff.  The results of trauma do not stop at the parents or at their children. The whole family is affected.  

By having a connection with both the youth and the families, Whatsoever is the place where both can have a social connection with staff and other families coming together to address their issues.

Addressing the issues youth and their families encounter cannot be assisted with a “cookie cutter” solution.   The staff at Whatsoever, with our connection to the community and our experience with resources it takes to overcome these issues, is a much needed entity. The COMBAT program allows Whatsoever to continue our mission to enhance the quality of life for our community members.