Photo courtesy of New Haven Independent
A community center springs to life through the work of neighborhood volunteers.
Sitting abandoned for nearly two decades, the community center affectionately known as the “Shack” is once again a haven for young people and families in New Haven’s West Hills neighborhood. The reopening is the result of neighbors of all ages coming together to fundraise and volunteer their time to renovate and staff the center.
“It is a beautiful success,” said West Hills Alder Honda Smith, who led organizing efforts to reopen the center and is now a daily presence as a volunteer. “The game room is up and running and kids are utilizing the space tremendously. We have over 500 residents come through a month.”
The community-driven project began with neighborhood meetings and a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit created to run the Shack - 333 Valley Street Center, An Intergenerational Organization. The Community Foundation provided the project’s first grant, $30,000 made available from Stepping Forward, the $26 Million initiative to advance equity and address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of New Haven committed $135,000 to upgrading the building’s HVAC system and the state of Connecticut contributed a $550,000 grant to build a music production and recording studio in an abandoned storage room. Continue reading here.
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