Our mission is to cultivate a thriving community by nurturing the emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical development of our youth and inspiring them to grow to their full potential.
The GreenHouse envisions youth who are:
1. Socially, Emotionally, and Spiritually Thriving. Youth who: engage in healthy relationships with peers and caring adults, have access to counseling services if needed, engage in racially diverse relationships, behave in an age-appropriate and respectful manner, refrain from joining gangs, and have access to local congregations if they are interested.
2. Academically Successful. Youth who: perform at or above grade level, graduate from high school, pursue higher education (college, junior college, or a trade school), and have the tools and resources they need to be successful in school.
3. Physically Healthy. Youth who: have their basic needs met (food, clothing, shelter, access to healthcare), have a safe home environment, and make healthy choices for their bodies.
4. Growing to their Full Potential. Youth who: know their individual talents, skills, and passions and have opportunities to use them, serve in their community on a regular basis, have opportunities to develop and practice their leadership potential, and are ready for life (jobs, college, relationships, etc) by the time they are 21.
This vision, created with input from youth, parents, volunteers, staff, and board members following a community-wide Listening Campaign, is in-line with the Sacramento Region Compact for Children and Youth.
We do our best to follow the principles of Asset-Based Community Development, which prioritizes the leadership development of youth and parents from the community. We are a member organization of the Christian Community Development Association.
In April 2001, the Sacramento Bee ran a front-page story revealing a staggering Census 2000 finding: a single neighborhood block with 567 kids living on it, more people under 18 per capita than any other urbanized block in the six county region. The article described some of the challenges and opportunities of this low-income block of three, four, and five bedroom apartments. One father from the neighborhood was quoted, "I've got seven kids myself. The lady over there has eight and the lady next door has nine." A grandmother of eight kids on the block added, "A lot of these children are coming from one-parent families and they are not getting that attention and love that they need."
After reading the article, Kacie Stratton and some volunteers from a local church (Sanctuary Covenant) felt drawn to this community and wondered if they might be able to bring some of that needed "attention and love" to the neighborhood. These volunteers began going to the park across the street, Ninos Park, on the weekends to play games and build relationships with kids while offering support and a helping hand to the parents. After hearing their stories and seeing their incredible potential, these volunteers began to dream about a place that could represent health, hope, and renewal for this community.
This dream became reality in July 2002 when The GreenHouse was born. The GreenHouse is a community enrichment center that was formed to help unlock the inherent resources of this neighborhood and transform it from one that is merely surviving into one that is thriving.
Tax Exempt Non-Profit
The GreenHouse is a non-profit, 501c3 number 30-0116551 organization located in the Gardenland Northgate neighborhood of Sacramento, California offering after-school tutoring, mentoring, spiritual development, and leadership development for neighborhood youth.