EAST HAVEN

Not all teens share the same interests and hobbies. For some, there may not be a place for them to see that their interests and needs for socializing and play are being met. In recognition of that reality, the developing East Haven Youth Services program is there to provide for those needs while fostering a sustainable environment for and by its teenagers.

The group, which is a part of the general East Haven Social Services, is led by East Haven Recreation’s Program Coordinator Andrea Kenney, who sees that it is important and necessary to foster the needs of its current target demographic of middle school-aged students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Kenney is determined to see that East Haven Youth Services branches off into its own separate town body.

“It’s a department that's really thriving in the building,” said Kenney. “I’m the only one in it right now. Hopefully, that'll expand in the future. It'll sustain and grow.”

The official mission statement of East Haven Youth Services is “to enrich the lives of the town’s youth by creating and developing programs and environments with the primary goals of education and fun” and to “mentor the next generations in a diverse, safe atmosphere so they can become strong, open-minded thinkers and leaders within [and] beyond our community.”

Based at the former Vernon Hays School on 1 Maple Street, East Haven Youth Services is dedicating a room full of recreational activities to its growing number of represented teenagers, both in and out of East Haven. Those include arts and crafts, television screens for movies and video games, and tabletop sports setups for ping-pong, air hockey, and foosball. There are also snacks. The needs of teenagers are additionally addressed through the setup of a “care closet” that is filled with toiletries for teens to take home at no cost. This is a part of Youth Services that Kenney is hoping to expand.

“If you come in and you can't afford deodorant that week or mom can't afford deodorant, just come and grab a deodorant, put it in your pocket, no questions asked,” said Kenney. “'I’m going to put out some sort of a fundraiser to try to get school supplies. If they need a notebook or if they need pens or if they need a pencil, they just come along.”

Along with providing household items that teens and their families might need, there is also help for them extended through the town body’s collaboration with numerous local public and non-profit organizations. Those include East Haven Public Schools, the East Haven Police Athletic League, Hagaman Memorial Library, Roots4Relief, and the Family Resource Center. East Haven Youth Services is also a part of the Juvenile Review Board, offering opportunities for kids “who have made a mistake” to be part of a supportive and inclusive environment.

Kenney says that one of the goals of East Haven Youth Services is to expand its activity outside of the former Hays School and schedule town-sponsored trips for its teenagers.

“Whether it be an amusement park or some sort of sports activity at night or a jump zone or something that teens would be interested in, we would love to do that,” she said.

Kenney said she could not run East Haven Youth Services without the support of her “fabulous” colleagues at the East Haven Recreation Department: Stephen Martindale, Anthony Arcangelo, and Lexi Marcarelli.

“They’ve been instrumental in locking into what the kids need and what their specialties are or what their hobbies are or what they'd like to see. If they have an idea, they come back, they tell me, and then we'll facilitate it,” said Kenney. “It's one of those things that we just keep building upon and building upon.”

For more information on East Haven Youth Services, visit www.easthaven-ct.gov/east-haven-youth-services. To see a list of the scheduling activities at the former Hays School, visit easthavenct.myrec.com/info/default.aspx.