MERCER COUNTY Center chief aims to add programs

Bringing in nonprofit agencies that have funding could be the key.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
FARRELL, Pa. -- Getting more programs into the Federal Street Community Center has been L. DeWitt Boosel's goal since he became executive director of the Mercer County Housing Authority in 1995.
"There's a lot of potential there," he said at the time.
Authority-run programs have come and gone since then but the authority is taking a new approach, bringing in outside agencies that have successfully been running their own programs in other locations.
The authority put out requests for proposals last spring, seeking groups wanting to run programs at the center at 211 Federal St. at no cost to the authority.
Part of the problem with authority-run programs is that the U.S. Department of Housing & amp; Urban Development, which provides most of the authority's funding, only wants its money spent on housing authority tenants.
That made it difficult to open the center to the rest of the community, Boosel said.
Overcoming obstacle
That hurdle has been cleared by bringing in the Shenango Valley YMCA and the Minority Health/ ERASE Anti-Drug Coalition.
The authority agreed in May to allow them to set up shop at the center and Minority Health/ERASE moved in all of its operations that same month.
The YMCA, which has its own facilities in Hermitage, began offering programming the center in October and the authority is holding an open house from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday to show the community what is available.
The center hasn't been fully utilized for years, Boosel said. Many new programs and events are planned to enrich and educate the children and unite our neighborhoods, and these partnerships will provide a safe place for our children to learn new skills, have positive role models and mentors and gather to be creative, socialize and play games, he said.
The YMCA, which took over the top floor of the center, opened what Richard Moeller, executive director, called "an old-fashioned, after-school drop-in center" that provides a place for children up through the sixth grade to play table tennis, pool, foosball and board games. There is also a reading corner and help with homework, he said.
Basketball, soccer and other sports activities are offered in the gym, he said.
Regular crowd
The center is only open from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, but has already attracted a regular crowd of 25-35 children, Moeller said, admitting he was surprised by the number.
"It really shows there's a need for this," he said.
The YMCA plans to expand its programs into the evenings to attract older children and adults and perhaps even start Saturday programs at some point, he said.
"We're just trying to do an outreach to the community," said Olive Brown, coordinator for Minority Health and executive director of ERASE, which occupy the lower level of the center.
Her organizations have already brought in other agencies to provide services, she said, citing the Shenango Valley Urban League's mentoring program as one example.
Minority Health/ERASE programs include after-school tutoring, a senior citizen computer class, a parish nurse program, the ERASE Youth Coalition, a summer enrichment camp, a grandparents support group, walk aerobics, a drill team and even a program dealing with secondhand smoke issues.