Historical Commission welcomes Eisha Jones and “Tuff Kids”
The T.U.F.F. Kids Community Center in Cleveland. Contributed Photos
Eisha Jones will deliver the program at the next Liberty County Historical Commission meeting on Monday, April 15.
The Liberty County Historical Commission will hold its quarterly meeting on Monday, April 15, at 6 p.m. in the A.J. “Jack” Hartel Building, 318 San Jacinto Street, Liberty, Texas.
The public is encouraged to attend! The guest speaker for the evening will be Eisha Jones, Co-Founder of T.U.F.F. Kids, a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was established in 2010 when local citizens saw a need to help steward local youth. The organization focuses on developing physically active and healthy adolescents and encouraging and instilling academic excellence.
The Masonic Lodge in Cleveland donated an old building for the Tuff Kids headquarters and to serve as a local youth center. The building was once a Freemason lodge.
For the last decade, the approximately 2,000 square foot building stood empty. It was shuttered after membership declined in a now-defunct chapter of the Freemasons, consisting of Black gentlemen in the Cleveland community.
The building was donated in 2020 and has since undergone a transformation and rebirth, not only preserving the historic building but creating a space where Cleveland children can enjoy constructive activities throughout the year, especially in the summer. By partnering with Save the Children, Rotary Club of Cleveland, Liberty County AgriLife Extension, and Austin Memorial Library, the organization is sharing the amazing benefits of early childhood literacy through a wonderful reading program.
A classroom will offer free life skills courses which will include computer training (Microsoft Windows, Linux, Microsoft 365, cPanel, WordPress, Pro Tools, basic cabling, CCTV, and various forms of cloud computing) as well as youth entrepreneurship, personal finance, and personal development courses.
Other programs are in development including the possibility of using aquaponics to raise fish, fruits, and vegetables, to help feed the needy in the area. The work could not have been completed without generous grants and donations from local citizens and businesses.
Please join the Liberty County Historical Commission and Ms. Eisha Jones to hear all about T.U.F.F. KIDS and how a community pulled together to save not only an historic building but area youth for generations to come! For more information about LCHC, please email lchc318@gmail.com or call 936-334-5813.