A place for teens to hangout, play some games, learn some valuable skills and stay out of trouble has finally opened its doors in Lumby.
The 鈥淭een Hangout鈥� as it鈥檚 being called for now, until a proper name is made official, has opened in the former coffee shop/motorsports shop on Shuswap Avenue.
With a pool table, Foosball, pinball machine, jukebox, TV, food, couches and tables to lounge at, the centre offers lots for teens to do.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to make it so kids want to come here,鈥� said Robert Wilkinson, who purchased the building for the Lumby Food Bank and has offered up the front space for the teen hangout.
With the help of Melody Sanders Bosk and the many donated items, the centre held a soft opening on Halloween and has since been open off and on after school.
鈥淭here is that need for kids for just a few hours after school,鈥� said Bosk, whose own teen daughter Victoria enjoys hanging out at the centre, lending a hand and just having some good clean fun.
鈥淭here hasn鈥檛 been anything here for probably 10 years or more,鈥� Bosk said, noting many parents and teens are thrilled with the new hangout. 鈥淚 have four kids, when I came here in 鈥�93 my oldest she was nine when we moved here, there was nothing to do.鈥�
Her youngest, Victoria, can attest to the lack of options in the village.
鈥淚 go home, like any other teenager, I go on YouTube. There鈥檚 some kids that hang out at the skate park, or hang out with their friends, because they have nothing else to do,鈥� Victoria said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what gets lots of kids into drugs because they have nothing else to do.鈥�
鈥淩ight now the boys are going up to the Blue Ox Pub and we don鈥檛 want our kids going to the pub,鈥� Bosk said.
The plan is to have the hangout open after school from 3-6 p.m., but it will be up to the kids, if they want it to be open later, they have to get their parents or someone to monitor things. The centre would be for teens only (13-19), free of charge and thanks to the donation of a commercial popcorn maker and a hot dog machine, the kids can keep their bellies full.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 Robert鈥檚 goal, to make sure nobody goes hungry,鈥� said Bosk, as some of the extra food bank items can be given to the kids.
Bringing food into the mix also offers the teens a chance to learn some basic skills.
鈥淐ome in and make yourself a sandwich and learn to clean up after yourself,鈥� Bosk said.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be a teaching environment as well. It鈥檒l connect them to the food bank which connects them to the community. It鈥檚 going to bridge a lot of gaps.鈥�
A public health nurse also comes into the food bank on the second Tuesday of every month, which opens up health care access for teens.
A couple community members have even expressed an interest in mentoring the youth on projects.
Between all the activities, tons of board games, learning opportunities, the potential for teens to schedule pizza parties and dances, the plan is to keep the hangout Wi-Fi free. But that might change, Bosk admitted.
鈥淓ventually what I鈥檇 like to do is rent out the commercial kitchen for donation which will come back here,鈥� Bosk said.
The hangout has been made possible by a number of donations and deals, but Wilkinson has primarily been footing the bill for all the equipment.
鈥淲e had the TV donated, and some really good deals because people want to help,鈥� Bosk said.
Now the only thing left to cover is insurance, but so far the hangout has come up against a stiff cost to cover of $3,500. That鈥檚 the only barrier so far, but Bosk is hopeful that some fundraising can help pay the bills.
鈥淚f it works it works if it doesn鈥檛 we鈥檝e got nothing to lose,鈥� Bosk said, who is doing everything volunteer while also running her home-business Trust Mother Nature.
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