Northeast OKC Community Center Seafood Boil

Since 2020 the Bridge Impact Center at 1915 Northeast Martin Luther King, has been changing the lives of youth in northeast Oklahoma City.

“For Generation Z and the one coming after, are we creating spaces where they can come in and thrive based upon what they need,” said founder Marcus Jackson.

Offering programs to help junior high and high school students with everything from STEM work to mental health concerns. “An arts area that has a space for dance, music film, we have a culinary space,” said Jackson.

The after-school program is easily accessible for community kids to walk to. “We have over two hundred and seventy enrolled, and we see about 25-40 a day,” said Jackson.

With Summer just around the corner, the center will open all day, with the number of kids typically doubling. “We’re feeding them, we’re doing programs with them, and materials cost money. We add staff to the team,” said Jackson.

Increasing the need for money to implement the programs and keep kids off the street. “Marcus and I, we go back about 23 years, we traveled together as Christian rappers for a really long time,” said Les Thomas, OSU Game Day Emcee.

“I’m cooking, the bootleg boiler is going to be cooking on Saturday,” said Thomas.

This Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., is a seafood boil. “I love to cook, I’ve been doing seafood boils for a long time, and so when they said let’s do a seafood boil, I said, I’m your man,” said Thomas.

And he promises you won’t be disappointed. “Fresh crawfish, potatoes, corn, shrimp, and the shrimp won’t be overcooked,” said Thomas.

However, none of the programs happen without support from the community. “For me it’s about giving back to the community, there’s no point in being in the community if you’re not doing anything in the community,” said Eboni Rhodes, with Tinker Federal Credit Union.

Meals are twenty dollars and can be ordered in advance or at the door. “Not just donate to an amazing organization, but also, let's make sure that your taste buds enjoy what you’re going to be taking part of, let’s go,” said Thomas. 

The seafood boil is this Saturday, May 18,11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. Pre-orders are recommended at www.urbanbridge.org