VILLE PLATTE, La. — If you live in Ville Platte and are looking for some sports and entertainment, the Freedom Center may be the place for you.
Sarahi and Steven Sawtelle, owners of Hundredfold Coffee and leaders of Freedom Family Church will open a youth center in September.
"Freedom Center will provide a space where young adults and teenagers can learn to do a trade," Steven said "Whether it be learning how to work with sheet rock, learning how to paint, learning how to do basic carpentry work, etc."
The new business will be a free resource to the community and will be located next door to Hundredfold Coffee at 117 S. Coreil Street.
Sarahi said the goal is help get more youth off the streets and encourage creativity in the neighborhoods.
"It's a dream for my husband and I," Sarahi said. "It’s something that we saw when [we were working as youth pastors in the 2000s]...the teenagers would come together and have a place to be themselves and just have fun."
The Sawtelles are encouraging professionals in the area to volunteer their time and to help give back to the youth.
"We are in need of retired carpenters," Steven said. "[We're looking for] men and women that could maybe mentor a lot of young kids..."There’s just a lot of kids that are either taking care of themselves or are in a single-parent home, or being raised by their grandparents."
When complete, the Freedom Center will feature a basketball court, an arcade, trade workshops and more.
Organizations like the Community Foundation of Acadiana and Woodman of the World have teamed up to donate to the Sawtelles.
Now, the building is undergoing final touches and is expected to open to the community by the end of September.
