The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency awarded grants this month totaling $75,000 for youth development organizations to give youth extracurricular activities and prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancies.

Westside Ministries, located at 952 Columbia St. in Turlock received $5,000 for its 4-H agricultural program. The program is for middle and high school students to learn about agriculture through themed gardens, a greenhouse and job training.

Samantha Phillips-Bland, director of Family Planning, said the purpose of the grants is to alleviate fundraising in programs who are successful and working hard but need an extra boost.

“It cuts out a year of fundraising for us,” Amelia Eck, 4-H coordinator said.

Eck said the money will go towards buying rabbits, hutches, fences, a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, raised plant beds, transportation, a picnic area and a teaching center.

“Kids so like to be a part of the planting and growing process,” JoLynn DiGrazia, Westside Ministries director said.

The students plant different theme and color gardens every summer including a salsa garden with peppers and tomatoes. Last year, the students planted fruit trees. They also planted their own sunflowers and peanuts and cultivated them at the end of the season. Eck said some students never knew where a peanut or sunflower seed came from. Approximately 50 children were involved in last year’s program.

Phillips-Bland said HSA received 90 grant requests from Stanislaus County organizations and 11 grants were awarded. The grants requests were read by a committee who gave each request a set number of points. The requests with the highest points were awarded.

The committee was looking for programs at schools, churches and city organizations that provide at least five hours per week of youth activities for youth from 13-18 years old.

Grant requests that were not awarded during this round will be kept for future review and consideration.

“We need to get kids up and off the couches and involved in activities that promote positive health and social sell-being,” Phillips-Bland said. “We strongly believe that keeping our children busy and supervised means we can help to keep our children safe. It has been shown that giving kids alternative to high-risk behaviors can make a tremendous difference.”

High-risk behaviors include a sedentary lifestyle, early sexual involvement and drug or alcohol use.

Hughson High School’s Hispanic Youth Leadership Council (HYLC) received $2013 for its program. Orestimba, Riverbank, Davis, Downey, Patterson and Oakdale High Schools also received grant money for their HYLC programs.

Heidi Rowley is a reporter for the Turlock Journal. Her e-mail address is heidir@turlockjournal.com.

Reprinted by permission of the Turlock Journal.