Our Services:

What We Offer Everyday

EDUCATION 

Education is the key to future success. Many of our members are the first in their family to graduate from high school or attend college. We provide tutoring each day as well as assistance for those that are starting the process of applying to college. And every August we host a Summer Reading Program for incoming 5th graders, easing their transition into the middle school.

We strive to show the kids how much fun learning can be! We have Virtual Reality headsets that let you stand side by side with a dinosaur, or travel to the farthest galaxy. Try your hand at coding with our Harry Potter coding wands, or even dissect a frog on one of our iPads! Trivia competitions are a favorite at the YC, you’ll leave with a ton of new information just by playing along. Keeping our kids engaged and excited is the best way to spark a love for knowledge.

COVID-19 has only shined a brighter light on the fact that many of our members don’t have the resources (like internet or technology) for online learning, nor do they have anyone outside the Youth Center helping or encouraging them when it comes to online learning. Since we don’t want them to fall behind academically and have to play catch up, what we do for our members educationally is more critical now than ever.

RECREATION 

Recreation is vital; it’s what initially draws kids inside our doors. We have a workout area full of weight lifting machines such as a Counterbalanced Smith machine, a Lat Pulldown machine as well as a Multi-Stack Dual Pod Combination Gym, an assortment of dumbbells and kettlebells, and two Cybex Arc Trainers for some killer cardio sessions. Each night all are welcome to participate when our Executive Director Molly hosts the “Workout of the Day.” Another great place to work up a sweat is inside our gymnasium where we host heated rounds of dodgeball, buzzer-beater basketball games, a multitude of “Matt Ball” contests, fiery floor hockey tournaments, a profusion of pickle-ball matches, countless bumps, sets and spikes during volleyball and so much more! Then in our main room youngsters are able to play pool, ping-pong, air hockey, shuffle board, bean bag toss, as well as an assortment of board games. We also have a vintage multi-cade machine where kids are able to play the classics such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Galaga. Recreation provides kids with a great outlet to unleash stress and anger as well give mental clarity and relaxation- keys to unlocking a more prosperous future.

LIFE SKILLS

Hygiene is an important issue. We always have an assortment of hygiene products on hand and we also teach our members how to keep themselves healthy and clean. We also help with things they may not have learned yet, like how to shave, use deodorant, or keep their mouths clear of cavities. 

Another important life skill we focus on is the workplace. We provide mentoring for constructing resumes, how to be successful during a job interview as well as how to conduct yourself at said job. 

FOOD ​

Our food program is essential to so many of our members—providing food security is important to us. Each day when they walk through our doors, they are able to have some after-school snacks, such as fresh fruit, baked goods, and platters of veggies, crackers and cheese, as well as a healthy, home-cooked dinner. Some fan favorite meals are: tacos, chicken parmesan, Anthony’s famous fried hot dogs with macaroni and cheese, hamburger casserole, and breakfast for dinner—complete with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash-browns, pancakes and, of course, no shortage of syrup!

ARTS 

Each week we give our members the opportunity to participate in several arts and crafts projects such as rainbow crayon pumpkins, bird feeders, plenty of paper mache, crafting Christmas ornaments, dying Easter eggs, and even making our own blankets for each child to take home. It’s a great way to relax and unwind after a stressful day.

KINDNESS

Unfortunately we reside in a world that has a large amount of hate. Here at the Youth Center, children of all different backgrounds, ages and social groups are able to interact with each other, work together and get along. This is a place where they are able to have fun, but not at the expense of someone else, a lesson that many kids can benefit from these days.