RICHMOND, Va. — The Southside Summer Kick-Off event at Lucille Brown Middle School took place Saturday.
The event, hosted by NextUp RVA and multiple local youth development organizations, allowed families to spend the day having fun and connecting with community members.
Free food and drinks were available at the event, which highlighted free out-of-school activities and summer programs designed to keep Southside youth safe and engaged during summer break.
"We have really found that there is a specific need in Southside for programs," Annie Hedrick, NextUp RVA's communications manager, said. "Programs that are quality, programs that are fee-free, low-cost or free, and also, just programs that kids like really want to engage in that are close to them."
The interactive summer programs benefit children academically, physically, emotionally and socially, according to Hedrick.
Most area school districts completed their academic year last week.
You can get more information about the programs, made possible through the City of Richmond’s “Safer Communities” grant funded by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and available through the Boys & Girls of Metro Richmond at Lucille Brown Middle School, the Boys & Girls Southside Club, and Liberation Resource Center here.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
