[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13898]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      HONORING ERVIN'S ALL-AMERICAN YOUTH CLUB, INC. OF CLEARWATER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 1999

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor 
Ervin's All-American Youth Club, Inc., an organization which is having 
a positive influence on hundreds of Ninth District residents in the 
North Greenwood neighborhood of Clearwater.
  Ervin's All-American Youth Club, Inc. has been changing lives since 
1981, when Mr. Ervin Ajamu Babalola realized that something had to be 
done to help the next generation of children in Clearwater. With only 
his backyard and plenty of energy and ideas, Mr. Babalola began to 
develop positive programs for at-risk youth to prevent them from 
becoming involved in negative behavior. The club has grown tremendously 
and is now housed at Ervin's Community Enrichment Center.
  On June 26, Ervin's All-American Youth Club, Inc. will celebrate its 
18th year of focusing on solutions to the problems in its community 
rather than on the problems. Ervin's quality services encourage self-
sufficiency and self-empowerment for the many African American youth 
and families in the community. Mr. Babalola's achievements have been 
recognized by the City of Clearwater, the Clearwater Times, and our 
local Fox television affiliate. In addition, the Florida Department of 
Corrections presented Mr. Babalola and Ervin's All-American Youth Club, 
Inc. with Harry K. Singletary, Jr. Crime Prevention Awards.
  Ervin's All-American Youth Club, Inc. offers a wide variety of 
important and valuable programs to the community including:
  A community food pantry, which distributes food to community 
residents through its Common-Unity Food Pantry.
  The Generations Program, which is an adopt-a-grandparent program to 
enable seniors to participate in community service with youth.
  A youth employment program during the summer for children ages 10-15.
  An After School Enrichment Program, which provides homework and 
tutoring assistance provided by Pinellas County School volunteers, 
tutors, staff and certified teachers. A computer center is available 
along with other resources to help develop healthy attitudes and build 
self-esteem.
  The Dream Builders Academy, which incorporates the Rites of Passage 
program, develops family bonding, educational experiences and self-
image enhancement.
  The Youth Empowerment Project, a youth leadership program that 
motivates at-risk youth and adults to develop their vocational and 
entrepreneurial skills in business.
  Camp Nguzo Saba, a camp for children ages 5-13 designed to develop 
learning, belonging and contributing in youth.
  The SANKOFA Community Theater, which promotes the development and 
growth of amateur theater and the amateur performing arts in the North 
Greenwood community.
  The Youth Academy of Entrepreneurship, a partnership program which 
introduces and fosters the entrepreneurial development of youth ages 8-
18 from all social, racial, ethnic and national backgrounds.
  In addition to all of these worthy initiatives, Ervin's All-American 
Youth Club, Inc. provides: assistance and referral services for 
individual and family needs, positive role models who share their 
experiences and wisdom with youth, field trips, supervised recreation, 
and participation in the National African American Male Collaboration, 
an innovative grass roots effort to help men and boys reach their 
fullest potential.
  Ervin's All-American Youth Club, Inc. deserves to be recognized for 
fulfilling its goal of providing a clean and wholesome environment for 
the youth and families of Pinellas County, so they may grow and become 
more productive citizens of the community. Indeed, Mr. Babalola's 
organization has had such a positive impact that many area youth have 
gone on to college, joined the work force or elected to serve in the 
Armed Forces of the United States.
  I want to publicly commend Mr. Babalola and the members of his family 
for their dedicated service on behalf of the youth of North Greenwood 
and for their outreach programs which have helped provide direction and 
positive growth for many in the Clearwater community.

                          ____________________