CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Have you seen the Youth Center lately? If not, you're invited to drop by and check out all the hard work that has gone into this building for the children of Clearlake.

The building is located at 4750 Golf Ave.

Clearlake Mayor Joyce Overton Mayor said she took this project on again when the Lake County Community Action Agency filed for bankruptcy.

She became involved for the first time when she was elected to the council in 2004 and saw that there was a need for a center. She and her sister Joan Moore financed and operated the Clearlake Lake Youth Center for one year to prove to the community that there was a need for the facility.

After the first year, she asked the LCCAA Board to accept the youth center under it umbrella, which it did till the closure of LCCAA.

Overton still felt there was a need for the center, but the building was in need of repair. “It was unacceptable for the children to be occupying the facility,” she said.

Overton asked for help from the Redbud Health Care District, and the board also saw a need for a facility to keep children safe and supervised, along with providing healthy activities and food.

The district gave a grant for the past two years to help renovate the building. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. donated the money to replace the heating and air conditioner, and some community leaders stepped up and donated money to help with replacing the light covers and other supplies.

Mendo Mill gave a great discount to the center to help spread the money out further. Four Corners Building Supply donated all the equipment and also gave discounts to help.

This renovation was expensive, and according to Overton took much longer than anticipated, as all the work has been completed by community volunteers. The center is still looking for volunteers to help finish the center.

Mike Vandiver, who came on in January, has worked hard on a daily basic to complete the project, along with the Mormon missionaries who show up rain or shine every Saturday. Overton said the center would not even be close to being finished if it had not been for their dedication to get the job done.

Richard Chappie completely rewired the building and helped with construction decisions. “I could not have done this without him,” said Overton. “He was my life line to this project and I couldn’t have gotten as far as I did without Chappie, and now without Mike and the missionaries.”

She added, “Because of them, the dream of a youth center will come true. It was just a vision of mine, but these volunteers are making it a reality.”

Every one of the volunteers is appreciated for the time they were able to contribute. She estimated there has been close to 10,000 volunteer hours contributed, the equivalent to more than $250,000.

They have totally renovated the building from electricity to flooring. They added a shower and laundry room so the youth who may not have access to hot water or laundry facilities will be able to have a safe environment to come and take a shower and wash their clothes and will no longer have to depend on a coach to stay after school. Overton said this happens more than the community would like to think, and it has only gotten worse over the last few years with the economy.

They also built a studio which was used last year by Konocti Dance Academy, which is no longer teaching at the center. Overton said the center is looking for a dance teacher who would be able to teach the younger children on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There also are hopes of using the studio as a boxer center, and they are looking for a trainer for the class. This will not be competition boxing, it would only be to teaching techniques and for fun.

A new commercial kitchen was built in order to help raise funds for the center. This will allow them to have breakfasts and dinners as a funding source.

Other projects needing to be completed include roof and siding work, painting, finishing the commercial kitchen, taping and texturing, and building a fold up table for the computer room.

The center also needs four to five laptop computers, USB backup cards, pool sticks and accessories, and food and snacks.

Overton said there is not a firm opening date as the projects list will need to be completed before the center can open.

For more information on the center, job opportunities and volunteering call 707-994-KIDS (5437) or Joyce Overton at 707-350-2898, or visit www.clearlakeyouthcenter.org .