Fire at the Junior Center
On Sunday, March 28, 2021, a homeless encampment caught the Junior Center of Art & Science building on fire here in Oakland, CA and we suffered a devastating loss. The building suffered extensive fire, smoke and water damage and will not be safe/suitable for use for the foreseeable future.
To our families: we are committed to continuing on with planned and future programs. We will be in contact with you along the way and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.
Relief Fund
The Junior Center has served as an essential family resource in Oakland – providing a safe space for young people and families to play, create and explore throughout all of Oakland for over 65 years. Through hands-on arts and science classes, camps, family play dates and more we serve over 8,500 young people and their families each year through our donation based admission to our center, sliding scale education programs, and partnerships with Oakland schools and community centers.
Despite the shelter-in-place restrictions, we have been proud to continue our reach through online services, free art-kit distribution programs and satellite partnership programs with our school and community sites. We were in the process of preparing for a return to in-person programs when this tragedy occurred and we are deeply saddened about the fire and its impact.
This fire relief fund will support our immediate and long-term recovery efforts as we reposition our current programming in light of Sunday’s events and strategize for our future programs.
We are in deep gratitude for the outpouring of concern and support from the community. Thank you for your generosity and support!
https://www.gofundme.com/f/junior-center-fire-relief-fund
