Happy New Year!

It has been a busy season for the Kingswood Youth Center. With holiday celebrations, decorating the KYC for the season, participating in the Festival of Trees, field trips, and constant new activities; KYC staff, volunteers, and students are always moving! With Christmas come and gone and the New Year upon us, the Center has had a chance to rest and reflect on 2014 before opening our doors again on Monday January 5^th!

The Kingswood Youth Center has been very fortunate this season to purchase and install our NEW outdoor recreation equipment! The front lawn area of the Center is now home to a 10 ft tall climber, cross country skiers, crazy basketball hoops, and swings. Thanks to Bruce Sawyer, who donated time and efforts at a discounted rate, the equipment was installed right before the weather turned cold- so students were able to enjoy it before the snow fell! Although the weather doesn't seem to slow them down too much in this regard...we have seen them visit the equipment at least once a week!

As we move into 2015, the KYC is determined to foster a stronger relationship between our kids and the community they live in. We have been so fortunate with our current pool of staff and volunteers, but it is a constant challenge to figure out what the kids need and how we can provide this. For most of our teens, having a positive role model in an adult who is excited about engaging them can be life defining. Our request is simple: we need more volunteers!

If you, or someone you know, is interested in working with teens, has a special skill or talent they could teach, we would love to connect them to our after school program! We only see our teens for a short window of time on Monday through Thursdays (2:45pm to 4:45pm), and our hope is to continue filling this gap with a positive atmosphere where students can learn, grow, and have fun together. Please email ([email protected]) or call (569-5949) to learn more!

In other exciting news, the KYC will be further collaborating this year with fellow youth organization Appalachian Mountain Teen Project! We will be hosting our first Teen Night on Saturday January 31st! Stay tuned for more news regarding this event and future collaborative programming!

As always, thank you for your continued support and interest in our youth! The Kingswood Youth Center is proud and honored to be a hub for our community's youngsters.

Wishing you a warm holiday season & Happy New Year!