Teens play dominos. Courtesy photo
Teens play basketball. Courtesy photoYMCA News:
ESPAÑOLA ― More than 700 youth attending the Española YMCA Teen Center’s out of school time programs will benefit from an Anchorum St. Vincent grant of $25,000 made to the Center last week.
The grant is funding tutoring, educational support and 21 skill-building programs available for youth after school and during the summer.
“We’re humbled to have gained this new partner,” said Rob Wilkinson, CEO of The Family YMCA in Los Alamos, which is contracted and partly funded by the City of Española to operate the Center. “Anchorum opened this opportunity this year, we applied, met with representatives on a site visit, and we got to know each other.”
Anchorum St. Vincent is a nonprofit health impact organization, one of three St. Vincent organizations based in Santa Fe, also including Christus St. Vincent and the St. Vincent Hospital Foundation.
Wilkinson said that Anchorum’s goals align with the Española Teen Center’s focus on youth behavioral health, leadership development and community engagement. “We know that youth who are evolved in their community become engaged and caring. We want to teach empathy and connection,” he said.
Center Director Ben Sandoval said, “This grant is impactful. It ensures ongoing personal support and guidance to the youth that walk through our doors, it ensures funding for tutors and enriching programming. It is going to make a difference in the lives of the youth we serve.”
The funds will be used to support tutoring, life-skill education programs, mentoring, prevention, cultural arts programs and operating costs. The Teen Center collaborates with more than 40 partners in Española in support of teens.
Cooking class. Courtesy photo
Leather work. Courtesy photo
Bio park. Courtesy photo
China Culture discussion led by Phil Taylor. Courtesy photo