Pinedale Boys & Girls Club adds calming room for kids, teens

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Two Fresno County organizations are taking action to improve youth mental wellness.

The Pinedale Boys and Girls Club in northwest Fresno just opened up a "Calming Room" for the kids and teens.

The storage room has been transformed into a quiet room with calming colors, comfortable chairs and various resources to help children decompress.

"We also have like noise-canceling headphones, which I feel like is really helpful," said Fresno EOC social services intern Matilda Garcia. "It can be kind of loud here, or for students that live in busy, hectic, full houses -- maybe they don't get to experience that quiet space, so they get to utilize that."

The calming room was created with the help of Fresno EOC's Foster Grandparents Program, as well as Generations Serving Together Fresno.

Program coordinator Raquel Padia described it as a multigenerational effort to improve the mental health of youth in the community.

"I just didn't realize when I walked in here that I would hear so much of the stories and the impact that it's made to the kids already," she said.

Pinedale staff shared the impact the Calming Room has made at the center in the past two days.

"A couple of boys that like to show a little bit more strength in personality have gone in there," explained unit director Stevie Santos. "Once they have that safe person and that safe space, they've really let the tears out. They've talked about some things that I don't feel like they would have talked about if they hadn't had that space."

Fresno EOC and the Boys and Girls Club are happy to offer this resource to meet the mental health needs of those in the most vulnerable populations.