Conneaut Youth Center finds new home
Apr. 27—CONNEAUT — The growth of the Conneaut Youth Center was celebrated on Thursday afternoon when dozens of people gathered to tour its new home.
The CYC is now located at 299 Main Street in downtown Conneaut. The new site will be a place for junior high and high school students to gather to learn and have fun together, said CYC Executive Director Bridget Rand.
The center is a faith-based, non-denominational refuge for kids and is sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
"We just needed some more room," Rand said while greeting those who attended a Conneaut Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility.
The youth center opened at the D-Day Conneaut building, which was the former site of a United Methodist Church. A variety of churches worked together to make the center a reality after Ann Wiley, an area business owner, saw a similar site in Florida.
Students have been meeting once a week after school with about 14 attending weekly, Rand said. She said the students change from season to season with different sports schedules.
Rand said children seem to be enjoying the variety of activities at the center and seem to like just having a place to hang out. The activities include tutoring and a variety of games.
Rand said one young boy expressed how he loved coming to the center because everyone was welcome and he felt at home.
The center opened in late October, but the D-Day facility is still available for special programs. Rand said it will likely be used for an archery program.
The CYC will be open this summer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include two full weeks of summer camp, Rand said.
"We plan on getting out," she said of games and field trips.
Rand said the CYC plans to partner with area businesses for a scavenger hunt this summer.
Two teachers are volunteering their time to tutor students and life-skills classes are being taught, according to Rand.
An air hockey table was being used by students as adults toured the site. The building includes a large room, classrooms and a game room.
"We have a blast watching them grow in the Lord and letting them know they are not forgotten," said Linda Robertson, a volunteer at the center.
