BERLIN — Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services (WYFCS) gave the Berlin Mayor and Council an update on the town’s youth club this week, including the charitable efforts made during the holidays, and officially introduced the agency’s new executive director, Steven Taylor.
WYFCS has been steadily expanding the Berlin Youth Club since it first contracted with the town more than a year ago. The emphasis now is in finding activities that are both a creative avenue for the kids but also contains a lesson about community and giving.
“It’s great to get but it’s also great to give,” said WYFCS representative Cindy Ilard.
Ilard gave the council a breakdown of the club’s demographics currently — 49-percent African-American, 36-percent Caucasian and 15-percent Hispanic. The 47 members of the youth club spent the fall and early winter on a number of big projects including making scarves for seniors in Berlin, ornaments for Atlantic General Hospital and donating other things they made to the Ray Rice Foundation for Christmas.
“We partnered with Life Crisis for Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” Ilard said. “The kids decorated pumpkins and created hand medallions to represent positive relationship in their lives. We also spent a full-day field trip at the Breckinridge Farm so they had an opportunity to visit a pumpkin patch and corn maze. They really had a great time being outside.”
Members of the youth group on multiple occasions also created thank you cards for American troops.
“They partnered with Stephen Decatur High School Connections Club and also American Legion Post 166,” said Ilard.
While the youth club has always worked in community oriented activities, the council was impressed by all of the charitable partnerships that WYFCS has made in the past few months. The kids are able to do something fun and meaningful at the same time, learning life lessons that Mayor Gee Williams predicted will stay with them as they develop.
“I think charitable giving is something that is learned,” he said. “It doesn’t just happen out of the blue…we don’t all have treasure to give but we do all have time and talent and they’re learning that at a very young age.”
Councilwoman Lisa Hall was also impressed with how far the Berlin Youth Club has come since WYFCS first offered services to the town.
“I just think with the amount of money that the Mayor and Council donate to this program and all, I am just beyond thrilled to where my dollar goes,” Hall said.
Williams also spoke positively of the investment that the town has made in the club, where he believes every dollar helps Berlin youth “grow, explore, discover and become great future citizens.”
As the club has developed, Hall has also noticed that residents and businesses in Berlin have been eager to get involved, volunteering hundreds of hours and often providing free activities like bowling, miniature golf or lunch. Hopefully, everything could culminate in an expanded youth club.
“The community has really just stepped up in support of them also. And I keep saying that you are growing and growing,” said Hall, “and I’m hoping that we can lead to a full summer camp every day all day. That would be awesome.”
In addition to the update the council was officially introduced to Taylor, WYFCS’ new executive director. Taylor has a number of ties to the community, including operating Ayers Creek Adventures with his wife. Williams told Taylor that he’s confident WYFCS is in good hands going forward.
“I think it’s a perfect fit and I anticipate you taking it to the next level,” said the mayor.