Aliyya Swaby Photo
The mayor Tuesday accepted a giant check representing a $7,500 donation to help open its Dixwell drop-in activity center for young people and homeless teens.
A few months after signing an agreement to open “The Escape” at 654 Orchard St., city officials received their first major donation from Wells Fargo Bank through its annual holiday giving program. The center is expected to open in March.
“We’re fortunate to have a private sector supporter … underwrite some of these expenses,” said Mayor Toni Harp. The Escape center will help keep teens “safe, supervised, engaged and productive.”
The Escape will be housed at Bethel’s Community Outreach Center at 654 Orchard St. It will feature a new 30,000-square-foot teen drop-in and activity facility with continual programming and hang-out space for young people. It will also include a downstairs shelter for homeless teens. The city is paying for 10 beds for homeless boys, with hopes the not-for-profit running the center will raise money for at least five more beds. (Read more about the project here.)
Kimberly Chamberlain, Wells Fargo’s local district manager, said she chose Escape as the recipient project because it is a “great way to support New Haven youth.”
Bethel AME Church has partnered with the city to offer a $4,000 monthly lease of its space and to staff the shelter. Organizers are seeking partnerships with other local groups to offer programming or financial support.
“We want the door to open for other community organizations,” said Meredith Benson, who will head shelter for Bethel.
The center hasn’t yet opened but officials are already trying to recruit young people to be involved in the process of creating the space by visiting schools during lunch periods.
“We want young people to drive what we’re doing,” said Earle Lobo, a city youth services specialist. An advisory council and board of directors meets weekly to continue planning.