What's Happening in Wilmington, DE…

Mike Purzycki, Wilmington's mayor, joined with members of the community recently to launch a new co-working, service delivery space to be run by Wilmington teens. The space is a REACH Riverside project.

The young people who have worked on the project are calling it ‘The Teen Warehouse’, and is a place where they can be physically safe and help support one another as they move away from violence and poverty toward better opportunities. A Mt. Pleasant High School sophomore, Zorah Rothwell, is one of the teens working on the project, which she says gives Wilmington teens other options rather than just hanging out after school. To make certain the space meets their needs, teens have been part of the design and planning process of the center.

The Warehouse addresses the lack of quality programs that young people can access after school. The warehouse is different from most community centers, because a number of nonprofit organizations that serve young people have signed up to provide services at the warehouse. Over 50 such organizations will be present to provide job training, mental health support, and other services including music, dance, and yoga, to preparing students for college.

The warehouse is expected to be fully operational by late summer. When facilities like this hold an opening celebration, organizers can use banner printing to create decorations for the occasion.