By NCI
Lived Experiences Community Hub
610 N. Redondo Dr., Oceanside
Lived Experiences is proud to present its new 2500-square-foot resource hub in Oceanside. “This is going to be our new resource hub,” says Oscarin Ortega, the founder of Lived Experiences. “Pretty much everything that we do in one spot.”
The new hub offers safe spaces for families, youth, young adults, and anyone who needs it. After being mobile for some seven years, the organization hopes to alleviate some costs, as well as safety and vehicle maintenance concerns, investing most of its resources into this new idea.
The Layout
There are plans for a physical activity area including boxing and wrestling, as well as partnerships with dance and other class organizers. Users can get a taste of these activities here and then partner with other programs to take it to the next level.
There is open space for events and gatherings of some 150 people. “We’re always looking for spaces to do our events, so we’re going to have here our mental health outreaches, youth outreaches, professional, community, whatever events,” says Oscarin.
Resources to be offered include diapers, food and food bagging and storage, and books. “Kind of create a stock system where people come in here and check what they want, find a diaper size they need,” says Oscarin.
There is also a small multipurpose room where partners can do outreach and have access to computers. “Maybe a therapist, maybe a community counselor,” says Oscarin.
The laundry room will hold 8–10 washer and 8–10 dryers, “so families can do some laundry as their kid’s working out or getting some food,” says Oscarin.
The vision is to decorate the walls with empowering messages. “If you walk in here, you’ll be learning about local, countywide, statewide, even national or historical figures that mean something to somebody,” says Oscarin. One partner will be showing a lowrider bike and sharing stories about it, destroying stereotypes about their being linked to gangster activity, says Oscarin.
There is an area for books and storytelling, with the hope that people can have access to reading material. “I want to create a library wall of books of empowerment for kids or whoever wants to learn about where they come from…anything that has to do with, how can we empower you through the storytelling of others?”
In the front office, partner Gordon Chavez will run his youth mentoring program.
The organization is focused on hands-on activity and teamwork. The idea is for users to fill the walls with their own creative and empowering messages.
Community Hub
Oscarin hopes the space will serve as a community hub for other service providers. “I want this place to be like, oh, let’s go do that at the center. Look what’s happening at the center,” says Oscarin. He hopes this space and other service providers can work together in favor of the community. “This will be a safe place,” he says. “Safety is a priority.”
Use will be free or very low cost and will run like a gym membership, with check in and check out to make sure everybody is safe. “So, check in, use whatever you want to use. Check out; come back some other day,” says Oscarin, who hopes to raise enough money through fundraising to keep up on the rent.
Another idea is to hold community outreach events once a month in a parking lot space next to the center.
Oscarin notes that the community is full of different groups getting along together. “Having this here is a beautiful medium between different communities who can come together. I’m excited about it,” he says.
Plans are to hold the formal inauguration ceremony around the end of June or early July.
