Arnold and KJ visit urban-youth center Thanksgiving effort

Sacramento Mayor-elect Kevin Johnson Tuesday joined Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and youth volunteers at the GreenHouse, a community enrichment center located in the neighborhood Gardenland/Northgate, to help assemble Thanksgiving meals for local low-income families.

The GreenHouse offers after-school tutoring programs, summer camp opportunities, a youth group for teens, affordable sports participation, skill-building workshops and a community garden.  The center serves a neighborhood of over 550 children living on one square block:  more  kids per capita than any other block in the greater Sacramento area.

“As mayor I am looking forward to continuing to work with organizations like the GreenHouse”, that work to strengthen our communities, said the Mayor-elect hours in advance of his swearing-in ceremony entitled “Together We Can” at the Municipal Auditorium. 

The Governor said he was happy “to see firsthand all the terrific work happening through this program.”

The GreenHouse was started by Executive Director Kacie Stratton in 2002.  The initial inspiration for the GreenHouse came after Ms. Stratton read a 2001 story in the Sacramento Bee about the neighborhood that described the need for positive role models in this struggling and diverse community.

“The GreenHouse was formed with the vision of helping unlock the resources to transform this neighborhood from one that is merely surviving to one that this thriving,” said Kacie Stratton,  “I want to thank the Governor and the Mayor-elect for coming here today and for their dedication to encouraging everyone to get involved and engaged in their community.” 

The food for the Thanksgiving baskets was donated by the Church Volunteer Network and Wal-Mart.   The majority of the volunteers working to assemble the baskets are junior high and high school students who benefit from the programs at the GreenHouse.