NORWICH – Occupying a unique role in the Norwich community, The Place has been providing fellowship, childcare and supplemental education for children and teens for 35 years, and with strong enrollment, is looking forward to many more.
Formally known as The Christian Neighborhood Center of Norwich, The Place was born in 1982 when Rev. Scott Kavanaugh, pastor of First Baptist Church near the Chenango County Courthouse, saw teens in West Park with nowhere to go and nothing to do, finding trouble just outside his church’s doors. He recognized a need for young people to have a place to safely socialize after school, one that emphasized self-respect, dignity, belonging and stewardship. As an alternative to trouble in the streets, he made space available to the teens in the church, and the drop-in center that came to be known as The Place was born.
Early on, strong attendance numbers demonstrated how needed The Place was, at one point reaching 19 percent of the area’s youth population. Yet in 1985, when The Place received the Presidential Recognition Award from President Ronald Reagan, founder Rev. Kavanaugh simply stated, “Our goal is to reach a small group of kids significantly.”
Over time, The Place expanded. They outgrew the two rooms at First Baptist Church and moved to the Norwich FOE building on East Main Street. Today the original Teen Program is just one of several programs The Place offers to area youth.
To reach elementary aged youth, the Kids Program provides before- and after-school care and homework help, as well as all-day programming during school breaks. Meals and snacks help ensure that the children’s bodies are nourished as they develop study skills, life skills, and make friends.
April Reese, a board member and parent, sees firsthand the value of the Kids Program. She says, “I love The Place and would recommend it to anyone. I like the fact that the Kids Program has structure and the children are not just running wild. There is homework time and different activities to keep the children busy so they don’t have time to get bored. I also like that they bring in different groups, like Cornell Cooperative Extension and 4H, helping the children learn different things.”
