Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County to Demolish House to expand the Armstrong Youth Center

November 05, 2018

Bakersfield, CA (November 2, 2018) – The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County recently purchased property across the alley from the Armstrong Youth Center thanks to the generous support from the Kevin Harvick Foundation and the Wheeler Foundation. The reason behind the purchase was to eliminate the illegal activities that frequently take place in the alley so close to the children and youth attending the Club.

Demolition of the triplex by Blake Arnold Construction Inc. on Monday, November 5, 2018 will move the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County one-step closer to having a safe and enclosed campus for the children and youth.
The ultimate goal is to close off the alley to regular traffic, fence the property and return programming space at the Armstrong Youth Center to the children who need us most. With the added space, the Boys & Girls Club hopes to build a Club Education and Support Center to support the Clubs’ teen Workforce Development Program.    

“The Club members on several occasions have not been allowed to play in the Club’s backyard due to the various illegal activities occurring in the alley when all they want to do is run around and be a kid,” reported Barry Hill, Associate Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County. “We are so thankful to the Kevin Harvick Foundation and the Wheeler Foundation for helping us to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”

About BGCKC: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County has 4 Clubs and 56 school sites in Bakersfield, Arvin, Lamont and Frazier Park. Overall, there are 7,500 youth served daily during the school year that are affected in a positive. Mission: To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Additional information: www.bgclubsofkerncounty.org.