BETHEL — Beginning March 7, Bethel area teens will be invited every Thursday to, “The Youth Hub at Congo Cafe.”
Henrie List of Hanover is coordinating the March 7 opening of a teen hub in the basement of the West Parish Congregational Church. Rose Lincoln/Bethel Citizen
Henrie List representing West Parish Congregational Church is coordinating the opening of the center with Lindsay Smith, Jonathan Wallace, and Justin Bondeson of the 4-H club and SADD-44 Superintendent Mark Kenney.
The hub will be in the lower level dining room of West Parish Congregational Church on Church Street in Bethel where they will have ping pong and other games; snacks, arts, crafts, and carpentry.
In the adjoining kitchen they will have “iron chef” cook-off’s, like what is happening today with about eight eager 4-H students who are making pizza from scratch. Wallace and List are overseeing the three competing teams.
“What do think? Is this a comfortable place to come?” List asked the 4-H cooks. She said when her son was in school he always asked, “where can I go to meet friends, to just sit and talk?”
After a year in the making, there will now be a place for Bethel area teens.
Each Thursday, a bus will take students from school to the church and back to school afterward. 4-H will help if students need rides home from Telstar. Students from eighth grade to seniors can come from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
“We just feel so motivated to let these kids know we are behind them. We have a safe place that they can just come and hang. We’re trying to create this [comfortable] atmosphere,” said List who said she hopes to engage more members of the community to help.
For now, 14 Congo Church parishioners have attended a recent training session to be volunteers at the hub. Tablecloths, pillows, games, and art supplies have been donated. They eventually plan to hang student art around the room and are hoping to get a grant to add a second cook-off station in the kitchen.
“It’s mostly just to tell the kids, ‘We’re here. We’ll let you thrive, we’re here to back you [and] the community is here to back you. That’s what’s driving us.” said List.
A few of the 4-H students have moved into the adjourning dining room. One is playing the piano; others are exploring the space.
Back in the kitchen, Liz Manjourides is making pizza. She interrupts List, “You wouldn’t happen to have maple syrup, would you?”
“Check the fridge,” says List.
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