Garden Pathways provides innovative opportunities for families and individuals of all ages to discover their unique purpose, activate their personal creativity, live in health and safety, and develop skills for success in life. Through collaborative efforts with community agencies, community service groups, and faith-based organizations, Garden Pathways offers mentoring, training, and education in the arts and the art of living. The programs of Garden Pathways: Comprehensive Mentoring Services (formerly Family to Family Mentoring), Downtown Education Center - Preschool & Infant Care, and Arts Mentoring provide a wide range of life-building services to the Kern County community. Diverse mentoring initiatives encourage and equip children, youth, and adults to realize their potential and build productive lives. COMPREHENSIVE MENTORING SERVICES connects people seeking a fresh start with caring mentors who guide and encourage. Through the power of relationship, young people and adults find lasting freedom from poverty and at-risk conditions as they discover dignity and self worth, take responsibility for their choices, and develop life skills. Participants include families in welfare-to-work and child protective services programs, families and youth impacted by gang violence and abuse, ex-offenders, emancipating and emancipated foster youth, pregnant and parenting youth, and other at-risk youth. Long-term relationships and comprehensive mentoring services offer hope and a safe place for renewal of heart and spirit as participants transition to self sufficiency. Comprehensive Mentoring Services (formerly Family to Family Mentoring) has been selected by the University of Southern California and the California Council of Churches as a “promising practice — a program that breaks new ground and exemplifies the power of collaboration in leveraging the capacity of faith-based organizations to serve the state's poor.”
DOWNTOWN EDUCATION CENTER nurtures comprehensive readiness for success in school and life in a loving environment. In their formative first years, children at Downtown Education Center develop increasing competence in all areas: intellectual, physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and artistic. The family-centered program mentors children to grow as responsible members of a caring community of lifelong learners — emerging in their ability to make positive choices of character, values, behavior, and health. Opportunities for rich experiences in many art forms encourage creative expression. (CA Child Care Center License #153801972, 153801710)
Garden Pathways, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1997 by individuals seeking to translate their faith into effective community building. Garden Pathways offers its services without regard to race, color, religion, s*x, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, or any other classification protected by law.
