Gateway Parks Care & Share: A Community Initiative to Empower Youth

The Gateway Parks neighborhood is witnessing a blossoming initiative aimed at fostering unity, compassion, and resilience among its residents, particularly its youth. The Gateway Parks Care & Share program is dedicated to creating an environment where young people feel safe, supported, and inspired to explore their interests.

Mission of Care & Share

The mission of Gateway Parks Care & Share is to serve as a unifying force within the community. By bringing together neighbors of all ages and backgrounds, the program seeks to facilitate shared hobbies, mentoring opportunities, creative workshops, and acts of kindness. The group's long-term vision is to cultivate a neighborhood culture characterized by adult leadership, youth support, and family connection.

Empowering the Next Generation

“I want the young people in Gateway Parks to have spaces they recognize as safe, creative, and welcoming,” said a representative of the initiative. “Whether they want to learn art, technology, furniture restoration, gardening, music, or simply need a place to sit and breathe, they deserve adults who believe in them. Each of us has something we can share, if nothing but our time, for the betterment of our community.”

This sentiment is echoed in the program's belief that “it takes a village.” The initiative aims to lift the neighborhood by embracing inclusivity and support. “Gateway Parks should be a big part of that village for all the youth who call it home,” the representative added. “No child should feel demonized because of where they live, what they look like, or their family’s circumstances. The purpose of Care & Share is to build bridges—between youth, neighbors, and cultures. This is what real community looks like.”

Activities and Engagement

As the Gateway Parks Care & Share group continues to grow, it plans to host a variety of hands-on activities. These will include art and furniture restoration, music or writing sessions, cultural cooking nights, gardening, tech or coding mentorships, after-school study programs, and neighborhood service projects.

“I felt compelled to use whatever was at my disposal to offer engagement to the youth of our community, whether they be at-risk or not,” the representative remarked. “Ultimately, if one is at risk, our entire community feels at risk. I believe in inclusive solutions to our problems.”

Community Inspiration and Leadership

There are already shining examples of community engagement within Gateway Parks. Recently, neighbor Nofel Molai hosted a Summer Olympics event, in which local youth participated alongside mentors and community leaders. “It was very inspiring to see men in the community out in the street playing with the kids, coaching them, and organizing events that engaged them in the summer,” the representative said. This sense of community and involvement is crucial, especially when faced with challenges that affect the neighborhood.

A Heart-Led Approach

Gateway Parks Care & Share emphasizes that it is not a political group, a homeowners’ association, or an enforcement entity. Instead, it is a heart-led community initiative focused on building trust, belonging, and opportunity for all residents.

Commitment to Youth Representation

As the initiative gains traction, the representative, who is also entering the sixth month of service as Foreperson on Kaufman County’s Grand Jury, underscored the importance of representation in addressing community issues. “We see dozens of cases each month, many involving youth at critical turning points in their lives due to one or many bad decisions,” they noted. “This further motivates me to find ways to reach the young people in our community before it’s too late.”

Gateway Parks Care & Share stands as a testament to the power of community, urging residents to come together and support one another for a brighter future.