Saturday, March 12, 2011

Middletown has a new Teen Center!




The Middletown Salvation Army after 2 1/2 years of planning and meeting with various community groups, leaders, and funding sources has opened a teen center at it's 515 Main Street location.

The Center's (soft) opening was on Thursday March 10, and it was also opened on Friday March 11. The Center will be open every Thursday (3 PM-8 PM) and Friday (4 PM-9 PM) until the end of school year. Those hours my be adjusted soon to meet the needs of the teens attending. It is open to all High School aged teens residing in Middletown. The center has a computer lab with internet access, a game room, a homework area, snack bar, xbox 360's with flat screen TV's, ping-pong, lounge room, and basketball(coming soon).

The Center has received funding from The Liberty Bank Foundation, and two other foundations administered by Bank of America, along with internal Salvation Army funding. The hope is that the Center will be able to open an addition day and hire additional staff to increase its programming in September at the start of the next school year.

If anyone would like more information, like to volunteer, contribute equipment/funding for the Center please call 860-347-7493 and ask for Major Rick Starkey.

5 comments:

Izzi Greenberg said...

I heard from one teen who attended on Thursday that it "definitely has potential." I saw another few kids walking down the street on Friday, and when I asked if they liked it, they said they were on their way back for a second day.

It's been a long planning process that included a wide group of community partners (NEAT, YSB, WES U, among others), but it seems that it's paying off.

Nice work, so far. Spread the word, everyone, so we can build the momentum!

Thanks to the Salvation Army for having such a great space!

Ridge Road Resident said...

What a great addition to the area. Good work!

Elizabeth Bobrick said...

What a great contribution to the community. Kudos to everyone and all the organizations who worked on bringing this about.

Vinnie said...

Great idea. Congratulations to all who work hard on this project! What ages is this for?

Christine O'Grady said...

Hooooray! Looks cozy!