“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt;”>First the Youth and
Family Center
“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt;”>revived the old
Cochran Community Center
“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt;”>as a resource facility bathed in natural light and stabilization activities for children, teens and older adults. Now the center is set to revive an important community health component, sickle cell anemia education and awareness in the “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt;”>region and across the state.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Rodney Francis, executive director of the Youth and Family Center, said the organization is assuming responsibilities for the United Way-funded program after sickle cell programs in St. Louis and Kansas City were dissolved.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We will continue to do the education component, the support group component and will continue the family support component as well,” Francis said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Sickle cell anemia is a group of inherited blood disorders where normally round red oxygen-carrying blood cells are sickle-shaped. The misshapen cells carry less oxygen to the organs and sometimes clog the bloodstream, causing excruciatingly painful attacks and severe medical complications.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The disease affects millions worldwide and is much more common in people of African or Mediterranean descent, and in regions in South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Approximately 70,000-80,000 Americans have the disease, which affects one in 400 newborns in the U.S. About one in 12 African Americans carries the sickle cell trait. If both parents have the sickle cell trait, there is a one in four chance of their offspring having the full-blown disease.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The center will start off with workshops on sickle cell anemia for schools and community groups in the St. Louis area with plans to expand to other areas.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The health component of sickle cell is not entirely new to the center. Property in Jefferson County previously owned by Youth and Family Center, formerly known as Neighborhood Association, was the first site of Camp Crescent for kids with sickle cell before it moved to another location.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We all strongly believe that this is not inconsistent with our mission as a youth agency, as a community agency responsible for education and so forth,” Francis said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A spokesperson for the United Way said sickle cell anemia education and support is an important program to fund and they are happy Youth and Family Center was able to take it on. They plan to have the sickle cell program in operation by the beginning of the next school year.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The United Way also funds other Youth and Family Center programs in order to make them affordable for families, Francis said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We don’t turn anyone away. We seek buy-in, but we don’t turn anyone away,” he said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>He said the center is focusing on youth development programs to help working parents in the neighborhoods, summer day camps, sports and teen employment programs. “Anything that has to do with school-age youth ages 5 to 18,” he said. That includes a computer learning lab and library where the old boxing ring for Golden Gloves fights once stood.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The center also offer aging adult services – meals for senior citizens, exercise and activities.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We bring them to our center three days a week and provide them with meals, cultural activities, field trips, exercise, all those kinds of things, arts and crafts activities – Bingo is the favorite,” Francis said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Our goal is to provide them with cultural activities to keep them connected and to increase their quality of life.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>For more information on the Youth and Family Center, call 314-231-1147 or visit www.theyfc.org.
