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Youth Center regroups; after-school drop-in program restarts
(by Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor - February 07, 2010)
MAYCI activities at the Armory
The Madison Area Youth Center Inc. offers the following classes at the Armory, 15 E. Second St., London. Discounts are offered for children taking more than one class and/or families with more than one child taking classes. For more information, call (740) 852-1595.
• Ballet—Mondays (4:30 p.m. for pointe; 5 p.m. for 3- and 4-year-olds; 5:30 p.m. for intermediate; 6 p.m. for advanced). Wednesdays (4:30 p.m. for beginning tap; 5 p.m. for 5- and 6-year-olds; 6 p.m. for preteen intermediate; 6:30 p.m. for teen intermediate; 7:15 p.m. for advanced). Costume fee is $45.
• Self Defense/Martial Arts—Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for beginners and sparring and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for intermediate and sparring. The one-time optional equipment fee is $80. The class is $40 per month.
• Kids in Motion Be-Bop—Gymnastics, general fitness and dance at on Saturdays. 9 to 9:45 a.m. for 4- to 6-year-olds; 10 to 10:45 a.m. for 7- to 12-year-olds. $40 per month.
• Prayer time—Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Open to everyone. Free.
• Pilates and Bodysculpting—This MAYCI-sponsored program takes place at Zion Lutheran Church, 221 S. Center St., West Jefferson. Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. Balls and rubber bands provided. $40 per month. |
London youths once again have a safe place to hang out after school.
On Feb. 15, the Madison Area Youth Center Inc. (MAYCI) will restart its free drop-in program at the Armory, 15 E. Second St.
The program is open to school children ages 9 and up. Hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Participants can play games, study and watch movies, all under adult supervision.
Revival of the after-school drop-in program is just one part of MAYCI’s effort to regroup after a tough year.
The non-profit’s contract for use of the Armory building expired in 2009. Months of negotiations bred uncertainty, which led to the loss of volunteers, contributors and program participants.
Finally, in December, MAYCI and the City of London, which owns the building, came to an agreement. MAYCI now leases the Armory for programming.
With the agreement in place, organizers are making a fresh start. Their overarching mission is to “provide a secure and nurturing facility to help our young and young at heart reach their full potential by challenging them physically, spiritually and mentally.”
To honor that mission, they have set three primary goals:
1. Better networking
“We hope to network and partner with other individuals and organizations that are community service oriented,” said MAYCI volunteer Robert Graber, who is amassing an e-mail database of supporters and talking to anyone and everyone about programming at the Armory.
Graber has already talked to the American Legion, Church & Dwight Co., the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy, London Rotary Club and area women’s clubs. Communication is key, he said.
2. High quality, affordable programs
MAYCI offers several regular classes and programs for children and adults. Some classes are free. Others require fees. Discounts are offered for children taking more than one class and/or families with more than one child taking classes.
The offerings include ballet, martial arts, aerobics, gymnastics, pilates, bodysculpting and prayer time.
“We are always looking for new instructors and/or volunteers to get involved in helping put together different events,” Graber said.
3. Improved facilities and resources
The Armory is in decent shape, but has plenty of room for improvement, such as updated bathrooms and more amenities for activities. Such projects require money. That’s where the following fund-raisers and donation drives come into play:
• Flyer’s Pizza and Subs Deal—On the second Thursday of every month, Flyer’s Pizza of West Jefferson and Hilliard gives 20 percent of its proceeds to MAYCI. Just mention MAYCI when placing an order.
• Monthly Flea Market—On the first Saturday of each month, the Armory rents spaces for $10 each. The flea market runs from 8 a.m. to noon. At the same time, the Armory serves pancakes, sausages, juice and coffee for donations. Rent-2-Own is a sponsor. Willie Russell is the coordinator.
• Printer Cartridges and Cell Phones—MAYCI has coordinated with Smart Recycle to receive money for used printer cartridges and cell phones. Drop yours off at the Armory or in collection boxes at the Madison Medical Center on Elm Street in London.
• Computers—Three to six computers are needed to beef up the Armory’s computer/homework lab. It is requested that donated units come with at least 256 megs of RAM and Windows XP (or a newer operating system). MAYCI already has several monitors; they need CPUs.
• Coke Rewards—MAYCI is collecting bottle tabs and box tops from Coca-Cola products including Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, PowerAide, Minute Maid, Fanta, Vault, Barqs, Fresca and Pibb Extra. Collection boxes are located at the Armory.
• Pepsi Refresh—Organizations can compete for thousands of dollars in grants from Pepsi. MAYCI plans to get on the list in March. Details about how to vote online are forthcoming.
To volunteer, make a donation, rent a flea market space or find out more about the Madison Area Youth Center Inc., call the Armroy at (740) 852-1595, send e-mail to londonyouthcenter@yahoo.com or contact Robert Graber at (740) 248-1108. Debra Hay is the executive director.
For program scheduling and details, go to www.londonsownradio.org.
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