The Truth For Youth- Building Back Better “ONE BRICK AT A TIME” Belmont Walkway Project will help us to REBUILD, REVITALIZE, and RENOVATE the 40,000sqft Belmont Cultural Center, which is our headquarters, operating facility and a 1918 treasured gem in the community once known as Bennett’s Bakery, Reed’s Bakery, and Smith’s Bakery, and is a Pensacola landmark. It is located within “The Blocks”, the Historic Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood, and Black business and entertainment district, strategically situated within the heart of Downtown Pensacola near the designated site of the Pensacola Blues- Mississippi Blues Trail, Historic Marker.

With the purchase and donation of your brick, we will receive the necessary capital to financially support the renovations of this historic property. Your brick will be prominently displayed throughout the Belmont Cultural Center Walkway at the foot of the Legendary Trio mural of Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, and B.B. King. Your donation helps us to revitalize a tourism destination attraction, rebuild a treasured cultural space, and renovate a historic preservation icon that draws local, regional, and weekend travelers- gathering at their favorite spot, Belmont-DeVilliers.

Truth For Youth, Inc., is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Florida, since 1993. It serves as an advocate for the youth of Escambia, Santa Rosa Counties, and the surrounding area. Our mission is to create and provide educational, recreational, cultural, and social programs for youth ages 6-16.  Our programs are designed to challenge at-risk youth to engage in wholesome activities by providing healthy and creative opportunities for education, social exchange, and personal development. Our activities promote and encourage academic excellence, moral and civic responsibility, self esteem, positive self image, confidence, pride, discipline, and respect for self and others.

Good old fashioned, wholesome fun is the agenda for Easter Sunday.  Young and old alike, each ear looks forward to the festivities planned by TFY.  The youth are divided into several age groups to keep the event safe, even for the little ones.  Toddlers through age twelve are the recipients for this activity.  We have candy, eggs, toys, games, prizes to give away as well as an Easter Egg Hunt to wrap up the festivities.  Our all-volunteer staff and sponsors diligently work at preparing the food items, games, and Space walks for everyone to enjoy.  Even the Easter Bunny shows up to take pictures throughout the evening.

Each year school supplies get more expensive and the list of items from the schools are adjusted as well.  We have this event right before school starts so that the kids can have one last summer ha-rah while getting free school supplies.  We usually get the list of school supply items from the Schools and then prepare a book bag with those items inside.  Normally its paper, pens, pencils, folders.. etc.  This is depending on the grade level as when the child comes to the event, they will be separated by that information.  We do have music, food, and games going on while supplies are being given out.

As most youth celebrate Halloween by Trick or Treating, TFY has a Christian approach for all Hallow’s Eve celebration.  Our primary purpose for this activity is to provide a safe, enjoyable, festive environment for our youth to celebrate.  TFY provides toys, games, prizes, and several “G” and “PG” movies to enjoy.  Food and beverages are provided for all that attend, young and old alike.  The objective of this activity is to encourage peaceful interaction, diversity, and close family relations.

This event is to wrap up the year for kids who are doing well in school to have Santa to give them gifts for doing so.  Permission slips are needed for each child for them to participate in this event.  The parent will need to get the permission slip for each child, fill the slip out, with the requested information, and then turn it back into the location they got the slip from.  The location will tear the ticked off of the slip and hand it to you.  You will bring your ticket(s) to the event on the day of.  On the slip it will tell you day, time, and location of the event.  You will come there with your ticket for each child and that child will get a back filled with toys.

Before Covid, this event was run differently.  We would be at several locations of roughly 3 days, where we would have music, food, games, gifts, as well as a visit from Santa during the event.  Eventually we hope to get back to this process, but for now this is a pick-up process.