Game Changer: Pro Kids Serving the Underserved

GAME CHANGER

Pro Kids: Serving the Underserved By Kristi Hawthorne

The mission of Pro Kids | First Tee of San Diego is to challenge underserved youth to excel in life by promoting character development, life skills, and values through education and the game of golf. They believe all kids deserve an opportunity to reach their full potential. Pro Kids offers impactful educational and enrichment services to vulnerable and challenged youth. The COVID-19 crisis has created new needs for families out of work, children home from school, and resources stretched thin. While having to close its facilities to the public, Pro Kids found ways to stay

engaged with local kids and their families and has continued to help feed and provide resources for children. Pro Kids in Oceanside, which is located at 821 Douglas Drive, has partnered with Feeding San Diego for two years, and this partnership has allowed them to continue to offer free meals for any youth ages 18 and under. Meals are distributed daily, Monday-Friday from 11:30am-2:30pm. The Staff at Pro Kids delivers meals to those in vehicles or to those who arrive by foot or public transportation, while maintaining safe social distancing. Families do not need to be members of Pro Kids to receive a meal. Twannia Baker, who grew up in Oceanside and is now the Program Manager at Pro Kids Oceanside Campus stated: “It’s important to Pro Kids to be one of our community resources during this hardship. We want all our community members, whom may be in need of food, to know that we are here to assist.” The Oceanside Campus serves any family in need, and passes out 80 to 100 meals a day. In the early days and weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, the need was so great that every meal or food item was distributed. When they don’t run out, any extra perishable foods are then donated to a local shelter so as not to go to waste. Pro Kids have served over 25,000 meals since March and they continue to serve and give. Additionally, Pro Kids received a large donation of books from the local library which enabled staff

to set up a “parade” or “drive by fair” with several stations wherein families could receive books, family resources, art supplies, backpacks with school supplies, beef jerky along with other snacks and juice boxes. Prior to the crisis, Pro Kids offered an After School Enrichment Program designed to provide opportunities for tutoring, workshops, and extracurricular activities. Knowing that kids kept at home all day by COVID-19 needed interaction with others and stimulation for their minds, the Pro Kids staff began providing virtual workshops. These workshops engaged kids in both educational and entertaining activities, including science, art, making easy food items and Lego building. Activities were fun and kept simple so as not to entail a lot of preparation for the families. Golf is once again being played at Pro Kids, practicing social distance and other safety protocols. Pro Kids is more than a sports program for youth; they endeavor to teach core values that will last a lifetime. If you have new items that you would like to donate, including school supplies, back backs and nonperishable items, please contact Twannia Baker, at Pro Kids Oceanside at (760) 547-8566.