Seasons Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

Near Forest Hills T in JP “there exists a small program with big heart and big impact. It is a remarkable place with the ordinary name of the South Street Youth Center— Walk in the door of the Center any Monday through Thursday afternoon during the school year and you’ll find volunteers and staff helping with homework, kids using the computer lab, art projects happening, dancing, singing and lots of life! During the summer, thanks in part to the financial support of friends and neighbors like you, many kids are able to attend local summer programs and camps. “ – Friends of South Street (our neighbors who are actively supporting the youth center)

Please help keep the South Street Youth Center the vibrant place that is! We have a funding gap we know we can close by the end of the fiscal year with support from all of you! Already from the support of generous donors and grants we’ve been able to close our gap from $12,000 to $8,000. We know that with the help from our neighborhood, we can meet our goal!

Please help us reach our goal by donating now!

How do your donation impact our teens?

“The center is my childhood, I made new friends, started to care about dancing and basketball. This is where it all started for me, it is my first job opportunity and where I learned how to work with kids.” –Danny, Age 13

“The Center should be open and stay open because it’s a chance for everyone to come to escape reality, to chill, to get help with homework and the staff are good to help you with life lessons and help you to put your energy to productive use.” –Rafael, Age 17

“The Center is a big part of my life. I grew up here. I’m learning the first steps towards being a man. Its helped me with my grades and I was an honor roll student all year last year because of it. I want to say thank you to the center.” –Ismael, Age 13

“The center is all about good intentions. It helps kids with homework, They push you to work and have good grades at the same time” –Jamilex, Age 15

In the words of one of our Homework Volunteers:

“The Youth center has an ideal structure for an afterschool program. The children who regularly attend the youth program seem to be disciplined in following directions, working on their homework, and responding positively with assistance that is given. Times have changed, so are the ways math problems are solved. When stuck, kids are always eager to teach you the new method. As I volunteered only once a week, it made me look forward to the next week and seeing the kids really enjoy my time with them. “ –Tooba

Holiday Gift Giving Opportunities:

-We still need:

• 60 kids gloves ages 4-10 (the one size fits all stretchy gloves are great)
• 30 small gifts for girls ages 4-10 around $5: bracelets, chapstick, small toys, crayons, temporary tattoos,etc.
• 30 small gifts for boys ages 4-10 around $5: small toys, crayons, temporary tattoos, etc.
• We would also appreciate Healthy drinks, candy canes and holiday cookies for the winter performance! We would need these delivered by 12/16 (or we can try to arrange pick-up).

Please let us know what you will be donating by filling out this google spreadsheet. 

Volunteer Opportunities:

• We need Homework Helpers Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30pm. This is mostly for 1st-8th graders. We ask for a weekly commitment. Most of the homework involves English: reading comprehension and/or spelling. Math: addition, subtraction, multiplication and fractions. The biggest thing the kids need is an adult "buddy" for them to look up to and be reminded to read the directions!
• We have a group of volunteers who help work behind the scenes doing this like finding physical donations, grant writing, volunteer outreach and other supports. 

If have any questions please email: southstreetyouth@gmail.com

Thank you very much and Happy Holidays! Sincerely, Maura Ramsey Director, South Street Youth Center