Action Steps Take Shape at Collaborative Youth Center Meeting

“Is that in Front Royal?”

The answer is: of course.

Samantha Barber, president of Reaching Out Now (RON), the nonprofit that has succeeded in revitalizing and reopening the Santmyers Youth Center, is sometimes met with disbelief when she tells people about the recent development at 200 East 8^th Street. How is it that something this nice is available in Front Royal? Barber can only respond out of her deep-seated belief that the youth of Warren County deserve a space that they can consider their own. It is a place where they will not feel they have left school merely to go back to school. Freshly painted, furnished with comfortable chairs and sofas, featuring a kitchen and an eating area, and boasting a game room, the Raymond E. Santmyers Student Union and Activity Center is a great idea with a lot of potential.

Action Steps Take Shape at Collaborative Youth Center Meeting

It is just that potential that an intimate gathering of community players came together at the center to discuss, map, and plan on the morning of Monday, November 18. “This is not a mirage,” Barber said. “It is here.” Even among those most committed to the Youth Center, there may be a sense of disbelief, perhaps because the journey to reach this point has been so unique. Over the past two years, renovations included the removal of asbestos and the installation of a kitchen, to name two big-ticket items. Fundraising through community events to cover the expenses of revitalization has been an ongoing reality. But now it is here, and children are already discovering the magic of this space and writing words to describe it on a whiteboard like “love embodied” and “home”.

Love embodied. Home. Students write up the words that best capture how they feel about the Youth Center.

Laurel Ridge Community College was represented at this gathering and much of the discussion focused on guiding young people through the application process for whatever schools they choose for their degrees, whether they are ready for a four-year commitment or simply want to pursue dual enrollment while they finish high school. To discuss postsecondary options with students and educate them and their parents about the critical dates they do not want to miss is one of RON’s priorities. Helping students write strong essays which will be crucial to their applications is a possible tutoring service that the group identified as critical. The group also bandied about the idea of a book club which could be held in collaboration with the local library. Two upcoming events in December were solidified at the meeting. Club Day on December 12 from 4-6:30 p.m. will allow club leaders, their counselors and teacher advisors to scope out the Youth Center and imagine how they might use it for their venues. Trim a Tree on December 8 from 2-4 p.m. will allow students and their families to enjoy hot chocolate, possibly a movie, and decorate the tree. Both events will be held at the Santmyers Building and registration will be required online at www.reachingoutnow.org

An intimate gathering discusses programming at the Santmyers Building on Monday morning.

Although relaxation is a possibility at the new Youth Center, the youth will also be invited to think about their futures and participate in action steps that put them on a positive, upward trending path. But perhaps the most important benefit will be the relationships they forge in the process, friendships that will last a lifetime.

Joe and Samantha Barber, sitting in an office space that is shared by key players at the Youth Center, are founders of Reaching Out Now, the nonprofit that has succeeded in revitalizing and resurrecting the Santmyers legacy of reaching young people in the community.