Short Oral history with Karina Lugo Villalba; 2023-09-16 [Transcript and Audio]

Lugo-Villalba shares memories of running after school programs and gang intervention programs and Colors of Success programs at the "Nettie." She shares how important this space was for kids to cook together, have their own space, learn to be a family together, etc. She talks about the demographics of children they served and how they served all children. She talks about the different types of events and activities that were at the Center. She discusses what she learned from elder members of the community like the Barns, Mr. Simpson, Henry Benze, Mr. Oliver, Mr. Bardo, Alberta Henry, Miss Sawyer, and Mr. Green. She talks about partnering with Omega fraternity and professors at the University of Utah. The Nettie Gregory Center worked with the My Brother's Keeper initiative and their Embody curriculum. Lugo Villalba talks about how the children got along with one another and she attributes that to Nettie Gregory's presence at the Center. She talks about the "shoe box program" they put on during the holidays.