CAMBRIDGE, Md. - The City of Cambridge is working hard to revive its historic district, including the Pine Street area neighborhood. On Saturday, city leaders hosted an open house at the Octavene Saunders Empowerment Center, inviting guests from across the world. It's where you'll find Jackie Skinner, a Pine Street committee member and the leader of the Groove City 4-H Club.
"I would say I'm a jack of all trades," Skinner said with a smile.
Since starting last year, the Groove City 4-H Club has quickly blossomed, turning the center into a space for kids after school to hang out, learn, and grow together.
But Committee Chairwoman Portia Johnson-Ennels says the Empowerment Center is still a work in progress - plenty of word has spread in the neighborhood but they still lack volunteers and funding.
"We've had some years where we've had to struggle," Johnson-Ennels said. "It's just a way of giving back to the community because a lot of things have been lost to the children. They're finding that there are a lot of safe places that they can go to."
Still, Johnson-Ennels says they're proud of how far they've come. The center helps not only families in the Pine Street area, but kids and parents from all over Cambridge and Dorchester County.
Johnson-Ennels says they're looking for volunteers who can teach the 4-H kids math and reading. The Empowerment Center also offers social services as well as a weekly food drive for families in Cambridge.
