The Carmel Valley Community Youth Center (CVCYC) is partnering with the Tatum’s Garden Foundation to build Tatum’s Treehouse near the community pool in Carmel Valley Village. Learn more about CVCYC, The Tatum’s Garden Foundation, and the story of how Tatum’s Garden began below. If you are interested in volunteering, please click here. If you are interested in donating/sponsoring, please click here.
About The Tatum’s Garden Foundation
Established in 2013, the Tatum’s Garden Foundation was created following the construction of Tatum’s Garden, Monterey County’s first fully inclusive and accessible playground located in Salinas. The vision statement of the Foundation is: Inspiring communities to foster abundant play for children of every ability.
The Tatum’s Garden Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 that is administered by a board of directors. Their main mission has to raise funds annually to privately care for and maintain of the Tatum’s Garden playground, and to provide opportunities for inclusive play in our community. The success and popularity of our first project have motivated us to expand the gift of accessible, inclusive play to more areas of Monterey County.
Tatum’s Garden is named after Tatum Bakker, whose parents, Shawn and Amanda Bakker, were inspired by a fully inclusive playground they visited out of state. Tatum, who has spina bifida, was able to fully enjoy the park with her brother and sister, motivating Shawn and Amanda to move forward with building a similar park for Tatum and other children in their own community.
Since 2020 Amanda Bakker has been the Executive Director of the Tatum’s Garden Foundation, while Shawn Bakker is now the Board President for the Foundation. While Tatum has grown up, Amanda and Shawn are committed to provided accessible play in more areas around our geographically large county, including Tatum’s Treehouse in Carmel Valley.
About the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center
Carmel Valley Community Youth Center is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) youth organization managed by an all-volunteer board of directors and generous volunteers. They are located in Carmel Valley Village, California. The CVCYC Board of Directors manages the following facilities within their 2 acre grounds: pool, hall, patio, built-in bbq, parking lot, and playground. The primary mission is that CVCYC be used for:
1. The education of youth in connection with athletic, social, recreational, cultural, and civic matters; and
2. The promotion of such activities among all youth of Carmel Valley.
The pool and playground are open to the general public. It has been a favorite of locals from across Monterey County, particularly during the summer when people come to the pool to cool off and enjoy the day. The CVCYC was originally founded in 1952 as a private nonprofit that could provide a social hall and meeting area for non-denominational community and youth uses.
