Warren-Sharpe Community Center
Empowering Communities - Changing Lives
Warren-Sharpe
Community Center
ABOUT US
What makes us different . . .
Warren-Sharpe Community Center is a nonprofit, community-based organization offering social service programs and assistance to families on Joliet’s south side. The Center has a special commitment to serving youth, and operates innovative programs targeting at-risk preschool students, grade school students, teens, young moms/dads, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
Founded in 1991 by the late Kathleen Bolden, the Center began with a mission of cultivating neighborhood solutions to neighborhood problems, and a goal of creating a safe, nurturing place for youth in the midst of a struggling community. From its inception, the Center was supported by United Way of Will County, the City of Joliet, Sacred Heart Church and numerous civic organizations.
Since 2014, the Center’s youth-run urban farm initiative, Green Sprout Urban Farm, has provided fresh, organic vegetables and herbs for children in program and their families.
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Staff
Kay Bolden
CEO & Accidental Farmer
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Jeremy Bolden
Executive Director​
Daphne Payton
Administrative Assistant
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Board of Directors
Lita Holmes, President
State of Illinois, Retired
Hon. Raymond A. Bolden, Vice President
State of Illinois, Retired
Mildred Holmes, MA, LCPC, Secretary
Joliet Junior College
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OUR COMMUNITY CREATES
MORE JOBS & less gun violence.
MORE FRESH FOOD & fewer drugs.
MORE TREES to climb, safe playgrounds, & Fewer Health Problems.
MORE REAL NUTRIENTS & less fake food.
MORE URBAN FARMS & fewer vacant lots.
MORE MIGHTY KIDS & less children who are lost.
Debra Byrd, Treasurer
Sedgewick Insurance
Deidre Creal Morris
Minor-Morris Funeral Services
Demond Gildon
Fuchs Lubricants
Karyn Stovall
Chicago Bar Association
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Fr. Raymond Lescher
Diocese of Joliet, Retired
Volunteers & Interns
Our volunteers and interns make it possible to keep our staff small, our admin costs low, and our services diverse.
Our interns are much more than observers or guests. They develop strong relationships with our kids and families, and become a vital part of our program. They have been interviewed by the Joliet Herald-News, sat down to lunch with congressmen, and accompanied us to the White House.
If you’d like to explore the possibilities of volunteering or interning with us, contact us. No matter what your major is, there’s an internship opportunity for you at Warren-Sharpe Community Center.
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