In small towns like Coos Bay, Ore., a little bit of community outreach can help a lot of residents. With the holiday season coming around, there is an even larger need for assistance within impoverished communities. One organization that works hard in their attempts to better the community has been the ARK,or, At Risk Kids Project.
Formerly known as the Maslow Project of Coos County, The ARK Project was an organization founded in 2010 with the goal of helping the impoverished youth within the community. Currently, ARK’s mission is to help youth and families build strong foundations by fostering self-sufficiency, removing barriers to services and education, and providing centralized access to resources. It is housed on campus at Marshfield High School, behind the main building.
“The purpose of the organization is to remove barriers towards completing education,” said Sonia Novak, ARK advisor. “So one of the barriers is food instability.”
While ARK offers a variety of positive services, they really shine when it comes to their food pantry, which is used for students in need.
“Our goal is to provide emergency food for immediate need, purposes, for at risk, youth and families,” said Novak.
While they work closely with Marshfield High School, their resources are not limited to that campus. ARK works with the entirety of the Coos Bay School District and a variety of homeless liaisons, focusing on a demographic of kids aged 5-22. They also work with their family members in order to provide a solid foundation for the most possible success in their growth and education. ARK works hand-in-hand with several different community organizations to accomplish their mission.
“I think one of the greatest achievements of the food pantry is just the huge support from the community,” Novak said. “Because we depend entirely upon donations from other organizations and from the community at large, and they have always kept our shelves stocked.”
While the ARK program helps as many individuals as they can, they are aware that there is a large population of Coos Bay residents that are unaware or apprehensive of the ARK’S services. Some students are afraid to ask for help. Novak encourages them to ditch their fears.
“Reach out,” she said. “Contact us. Ask us questions.”
For more information on ARK, stop by their facility behind the MHS main building. They are open Monday through Thursday, 1-5pm. They may be reached at 541-267-3104 ext. 7115, or via Facebook Messenger.
