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Community: Clippers Refurbish Learning Center In Compton

Rowan Kavner

COMPTON, Calif. – Long before Chris Paul became an NBA superstar, he was taught the importance of giving back.

That was instilled in him from his parents, who were on hand Friday as the Chris Paul Family Foundation and the L.A. Clippers Foundation opened a newly refurbished Read to Achieve Live, Learn and Play Center at the Salvation Army Compton Corps Community Center.

“I’m so excited about this event today,” said Robin Paul, Chris’ mother. “This does my heart good to see these kids as they go around to these different rooms and see the new stuff and see the difference some of us are trying to make in their lives. That is really what the Chris Paul Family Foundation is all about. We’re all about reading to achieve and making facilities safe and a place for children to just have fun.”

In every newly refurbished room was a picture of what the room used to look like. A new game room featured a pool table, a foosball table, an air hockey table and a giant television for the children to play video games. Outside, new basketball courts were set up next to an area where kids could play on giant chess and checkerboards.

These were just a couple examples of all the new renovations, all of which were unbelievable to see for the assistant corps officer at the Compton center, Lt. Claudia Pardo-Barriga, as well as everyone in attendance who’d seen what the center looked like prior.

“It’s a dream come true,” Pardo-Barriga said. “When we came here, we didn’t have the funds to remodel this place. We were thinking about it obviously in our planning, but we knew we had to start small. We had to set our priorities and start room by room. We couldn’t do everything.

“When this opportunity came up, it was a dream come true. Here we are getting help from the Clippers, helping our dream come true.”

A ribbon cutting kicked off the event, as children played in each newly refurbished room. Grady Brown, the divisional secretary of business for the Southern California division of the Salvation Army, said it was thrilling to see what happened with the center in Compton, which has been around since 1976.

“It has stood as a beacon of light and hope for children, for men, for women, and especially families,” Brown said. “We couldn’t be more ecstatic about partnering with people who care about the same things we value.”

Brown said as great as it is to watch what the Clippers do on the court, it’s even greater to see what Chris Paul and his family are accomplishing off of it.

“We’re ecstatic when our heroes become partners helping people in the community,” Brown said. “That tells us a great deal about the people who make up the team. We couldn’t be more happy and proud that Chris Paul is not just a member of the Clippers, but a member of these communities that go to games and do so many things.”

The Salvation Army Compton Corps Community Center received access to technology, including computers, a SMART board, e-readers and tablets, books and furniture. It also received a new media and technology lounge, a game zone play room and a refurbished computer room, fitness center, nursery and playground.

Charles Paul, Chris’ father, said there’s no better feeling than to bless people who are in need. He credited his wife and the Clippers for finding the neighborhoods and communities that are in the most need, then the Paul family and the Clippers try to meet those needs.

He said it’s always rewarding to give back and see the children enjoying themselves.

“Friday evening and they’re in there having fun, not out there running in the streets,” Charles Paul said. “They’re just kids being kids. That’s all kids want to do, be kids, have fun like every other kid, smile in a safe environment, be around people that care about them.”

Charles and Robin Paul said they used to always give back when they were young, and now it’s carried on as they’ve raised their children. Philanthropic efforts have been a part of the Paul family long before Chris began his professional career.

“Through the church we attended, we used to do this all the time,” Charles said. “We used to do feeding families, walk through neighborhoods to see what they were in need of.”

Now, the Chris Paul Family Foundation is able to help on a larger scale. That was evident at the Salvation Army Compton Corps Community Center, which supplies living assistance to low-income families through family services, growth and learning development and academic, artistic and athletic activities for students of all ages.

And more importantly, the Clippers and Robin Paul let everyone at the center know that the refurbishment was just the beginning.

“We will be back to check on y’all,” Robin Paul said. “We’re not just going to do it and forget about you.”

In 2005, Chris Paul established the CP3 Foundation in honor of his late grandfather to provide scholarships for high school graduates to attend Wake Forest University. Chris' emphasis on community involvement has won the CP3 Foundation the NBA's Community Assist Award five times. The name of the foundation was changed to the Chris Paul Family Foundation in 2015.

The L.A. Clippers Foundation exists to foster and support community outreach programs and activities with positive educational, civic, environmental and humanitarian values that benefit and enhance the quality of life primarily for children in greater Los Angeles.