This pledge, to be paid over five years, will allow the Boys & Girls Clubs to make major investments in infrastructure and construct a new STEAM Innovation Center — the acronym stands for science, technology, engineering, agriculture and math — at the Port Hueneme location.  The STEAM Center will be named Freedom 1ST Steam Center.

Freedom 1st Association presented Erin Antrim, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, with a ceremonial check at the Port Hueneme clubhouse on Feb. 13.

“The Port Hueneme clubhouse provides a safe, welcoming and nurturing place for children and teens across Port Hueneme,” Antrim said. “Freedom 1st is allowing us to continue this vital work.”

Robert Tatum, owner of Freedom 1st, shared a similar sentiment about his family’s donation.

“Freedom 1st Association is excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs to make a lasting investment in the children of Port Hueneme,” he said.

Robert Tatum’s son, Mark Tatum, added: “Our entire staff shares our family commitment to Port Hueneme. Their dedication, hard work and customer support is major factor in making this contribution a reality.”

Port Hueneme Police Chief Andrew Salinas, who sits on the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, expressed enthusiasm on behalf of the clubs.

“We are thrilled by the Tatum family’s investment in the future of the Port Hueneme community,” he said. “This gift will allow the club to thrive.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme are located at 590 E. Pleasant Valley Road in Port Hueneme and serve more than 100 kids daily. Club members pay $20 annually to access an array of programs, ranging from sailing and 3D printing to college preparedness and alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and illegal drug prevention programs. By providing a safe and positive environment for children and teens in the area, the youth organization helps its members achieve academic success, adopt healthy habits and build good character. According to an independent study conducted by California Lutheran University, 96% of club members graduate high school, compared with 62% of the general Oxnard and Port Hueneme population, while only 4% are arrested, as opposed to 11% of the general Oxnard and Port Hueneme population.

About Freedom 1st Association

Established in 2015 in Ventura County, Freedom 1st Association is a local, family-owned and -operated business that’s proud to run Port Hueneme’s first dispensary. The business was the sixth business to be approved and licensed by the state of California. Since opening at its current location, 2675 N. Ventura Road, #103, the company has focused on improving the community and has contributed over $150,000 in donations to more than a dozen local charity organizations, including local homeless shelters.

The company said it is “dedicated to the residents of Port Hueneme and surrounding area.” Freedom 1st has made a major commitment within the city by recently announcing its relocation to a much larger facility, 233 E. Channel Islands Blvd. in Port Hueneme, within the coming months.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme

Established in 1954, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) youth service organization. The clubs’ mission is “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” The organization has been providing quality programs to youth since 1954. The two clubs merged in 1997 to become the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

In 2004, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme opened nine new school sites, and, in 2006, the organization added 11 sites in the Ocean View, Hueneme and Rio school districts. Currently, the clubs have four full-service clubhouses, one public housing unit and 13 school sites. The historic Harriet H. Samuelsson Clubhouse, located on Seventh Street, reopened on June 11, 2007, 53 years after it originally opened. The Martin V. Smith Clubhouse opened in October 2001. In addition, the first club located in a juvenile facility in the state of California opened in January 2007 at Ventura County’s juvenile hall.

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