There is a lack of much needed youth programming in the East End of Lexington, KY that leaves too many of our children and youth with a vacuum of appropriately structured and properly supervised activities. William Wells Brown Community Center (WWB) has attempted to fill in the gap left by the Bluegrass-Aspendale Teen Center and the P.A.L. Center that was never returned to this community as proposed with the HOPE VI development. However, there is a limit to how much one center can do with limited resources to serve the entire population of this community. Jill Wilson does an excellent job of serving all ages, elementary to high school (M-W-F) and adults (Tue. & Th); though closed during the months of May and August and serving all age groups during the limited operational hours (6-9 PM) during the school year. Oftentimes, that leaves many youth unsupervised with extremely limited options.
Over 1,000 residents of this community fought for the return of the Charles Young Community Center (CYCC) to supplement WWB and provide additional youth programming (after school,evenings, weekends, school holidays, Spring & Summer breaks) that has yet to be fully realized after nearly 2 years of operation. Too often CYCC is sitting dark and empty, and accessing the facility for program use has been difficult and basically limited to government run or funded corporations, and as a result it is not effectively meeting the needs of the community. Utilizing a model of volunteer management and oversight has not proven successful; no grants or on-going funding have been provided and few programs have been developed as proposed, except by other volunteer groups that have experienced difficulty interacting with the current board and management that have had little regard for community needs and requests.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE CHARLES YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER WITH A QUALIFIED, PAID PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND STAFF THAT CAN EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THIS CENTER WITH COORDINATED PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND EVENTS. PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR YOUTH OFF THE STREETS AND INTO PRODUCTIVE PROGRAMS AND POSITIVE ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY-BUILDING EVENTS THAT ARE MUCH NEEDED AND DESIRED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
Updates
August 8, 2014
The stories shared in the comments regarding the lack of youth activities clarify why this correction is necessary. I am currently organizing these accounts to present a clear picture of the current service gap to the local oversight board.
August 8, 2014
Reaching this milestone confirms that our community feels the same urgency regarding the empty halls of our youth center. This momentum signals a shared desire for the facility to finally serve the young people it was intended to support.
6 Comments
This place just sits there empty while our kids are hanging out in parking lots. It makes no sense.
My nephew has nowhere to go after school and it shows. Someone needs to get the doors open and get these kids off the corner.
Fed up with paying taxes for a building that stays dark when school is out. Change management and let the community use it for once.
We were promised this center would be for the neighborhood kids and right now its basically locked up. We need someone who actually cares about running programs here.
They need to do something to get these kids out of the streets and focused on there school work I know its been every parents dream or at least some parents who would love for there child to have the opportunity to go to college
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There is a lack of much needed youth programming in the East End of Lexington, KY that leaves too many of our children and youth with a vacuum of appropriately structured and properly supervised activities. William Wells Brown Community Center (WWB) has attempted to fill in the gap left by the Bluegrass-Aspendale Teen Center and the P.A.L. Center that was never returned to this community as proposed with the HOPE VI development. However, there is a limit to how much one center can do with limited resources to serve the entire population of this community. Jill Wilson does an excellent job of serving all ages, elementary to high school (M-W-F) and adults (Tue. & Th); though closed during the months of May and August and serving all age groups during the limited operational hours (6-9 PM) during the school year. Oftentimes, that leaves many youth unsupervised with extremely limited options.
Over 1,000 residents of this community fought for the return of the Charles Young Community Center (CYCC) to supplement WWB and provide additional youth programming (after school,evenings, weekends, school holidays, Spring & Summer breaks) that has yet to be fully realized after nearly 2 years of operation. Too often CYCC is sitting dark and empty, and accessing the facility for program use has been difficult and basically limited to government run or funded corporations, and as a result it is not effectively meeting the needs of the community. Utilizing a model of volunteer management and oversight has not proven successful; no grants or on-going funding have been provided and few programs have been developed as proposed, except by other volunteer groups that have experienced difficulty interacting with the current board and management that have had little regard for community needs and requests.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE CHARLES YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER WITH A QUALIFIED, PAID PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND STAFF THAT CAN EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THIS CENTER WITH COORDINATED PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND EVENTS. PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR YOUTH OFF THE STREETS AND INTO PRODUCTIVE PROGRAMS AND POSITIVE ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY-BUILDING EVENTS THAT ARE MUCH NEEDED AND DESIRED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
Updates
August 8, 2014
The stories shared in the comments regarding the lack of youth activities clarify why this correction is necessary. I am currently organizing these accounts to present a clear picture of the current service gap to the local oversight board.
August 8, 2014
Reaching this milestone confirms that our community feels the same urgency regarding the empty halls of our youth center. This momentum signals a shared desire for the facility to finally serve the young people it was intended to support.
6 Comments
JILL IS DOING TOO MUCH ALREADY. WE NEED CHARLES YOUNG OPEN FULL TIME WITH REAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE TEENS.
This place just sits there empty while our kids are hanging out in parking lots. It makes no sense.
My nephew has nowhere to go after school and it shows. Someone needs to get the doors open and get these kids off the corner.
Fed up with paying taxes for a building that stays dark when school is out. Change management and let the community use it for once.
We were promised this center would be for the neighborhood kids and right now its basically locked up. We need someone who actually cares about running programs here.
They need to do something to get these kids out of the streets and focused on there school work I know its been every parents dream or at least some parents who would love for there child to have the opportunity to go to college
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JILL IS DOING TOO MUCH ALREADY. WE NEED CHARLES YOUNG OPEN FULL TIME WITH REAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE TEENS.