McCombs Youth Center gets facelift on Comcast Cares Day

The McCombs Youth Center, home of the Boys & Girls Club of Merced County, got a facelift over the weekend.

Several rooms in the center got a fresh coat of paint, new dry erase boards, chalkboards and new bean bags. On the outside, the center was landscaped with red bark and was decked out with new flowers and trees.

The center’s upgrades were provided by Comcast as part of the company’s annual day of community service.

Lam Kindavong, program coordinator at the Boy & Girls Club, said about 130 people showed up to volunteer Saturday, including club members, their families and Comcast employees. Volunteers from UC Merced and Merced Community College also lent a hand.

The Boys & Girls Club of Merced County was one of 16 in the state chosen by Comcast for renovations. Kindavong explained that company representatives visited the clubs a few months back to select the locations.

Kindavong said the improvements help make the center more attractive for the students so they’ll want to spend more time there. “It makes the place look more valued and taken care of,” he said. “It provides a better atmosphere.”

Many of the student members were present to help out on Saturday. Kindavong thinks this will make them appreciate the space even more, and teach them about the importance of community service.

“We always tell them: ‘This is your center, take care of your center.’ ”

These are the first major upgrades and improvements to the McCombs Youth Center since it was built in 2002, according to staff.

Comcast Cares Day is organized by the Comcast Foundation, which aims to provide charitable support to qualified nonprofit organizations, such as Boy & Girls Clubs across the country.

According to the company’s website, in 2014, a record 95,000 volunteers helped improve more than 820 parks, schools, beaches and senior centers.

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "McCombs Youth Center gets facelift on Comcast Cares Day."