The Advisory Committee of Liberty City Youth (TACOLCY) empowers youth and families to transcend the challenges of their daily lives by providing them with essential tools, with a focus on education, technology, athletics, and the arts. Its vision is a community vibrant with economic opportunity, safety to play and work, intact families with resilience to overcome challenges, schools that nurture c
hildren and teach them how to transform their interests into skills to achieve fulfillment and independence as adults, a reverence for spirit, an appreciation of nature and our impact on the planet, a sense of justice, hope and growth that permits optimism, effort and laughter to pervade its streets and people. TACOLCY utilizes a strategic mix of best practice program models and services designed to support children and families. What started in a pool hall in 1966 as a way to give young people a voice in their community is now one of the largest, private non-profit youth service agencies in Miami. Housed on a gorgeous 3.5 acre City of Miami park in Liberty City, TACOLCY serves its predominantly minority community in one of the highest areas of need in Miami-Dade County. It has a long and effective history of educational, preventative, interventionary, recreational and family development initiatives that prioritize cultural and linguistic competency. A winner of numerous awards and recognitions, TACOLCY continues to be regarded as one of Miami’s ‘go-to’ institutions for youth and families. TACOLCY strives to help families realize their dreams by redressing points of vulnerability and providing supports during the journey from birth through adulthood. TACOLCY’s holistic approach uses a system of care model to cover 7 core principles through 4 programmatic areas. Literacy, Arts and Culture, Environmental Education, Civic Leadership, Community Wellness, Violence Prevention and Leadership Development are infused into Out-of-School Time, Health and Wellness, Family Intervention and Youth Development programs. TACOLCY’s evolution has allowed it to transcend a traditional service provider regimen by integrating a blended social service and social change paradigm. Within Miami-Dade County, data shows that Liberty City meets the definition of a high risk community based on all indicators that measure youth violence. Data reflects that Liberty City is at greater risk than many other comparable communities in the county, state and nation. Liberty City has approximately 22,749 residents and our border community of Little Haiti boasts another 28,312 residents. Currently, TACOLCY engages more than 5,000 youth and parents each year through our direct services, programs and events which include:
• After-school and summer CDF Freedom Schools literacy programs
• Care Coordination and Families Assistance with Suspension and Termination (FAST) programs
• A year-round sports program which includes championship teams in football, cheerleading, basketball, track and field, baseball and soccer
• Annual community events such as the Health Fair and Back-to-School/Anti-Bullying Rally
TACOLCY regularly provides meeting and event space to community organizations and we house other like-minded community organizations in our facilities.
* Love rather than hate
* Support rather than blame
* Hearten rather than alienate
* Help rather than ignore
* Build up rather than criticize or destroy
* Hope rather than doubt
* Give back rather than take
* Believe in the possibility of achieving dreams rather than give up in cynicism and defeat
