14 Apr Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center Reopens – Celebration To Take Place May 5th
The Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center located at 123 Champlain Avenue (Ticonderoga Armory) in Ticonderoga, NY has recently reopened. A Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting Celebration in coordination with the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Ticonderoga will take place on Thursday, May 5th at 4:30 PM. Tours of the center will be available and refreshments will be served following the ribbon cutting. This event will serve as an opportunity to mark the return of this important center as well as the hard work, dedication, and coordination of Silver Bay YMCA and the Town of Ticonderoga.
“Thank you to our generous community of supporters and donors that make the Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center possible. This program is so important to Silver Bay, the community, and our local youth. I would also like to thank the Town of Ticonderoga for their partnership and the Ticonderoga Youth Program for your ongoing coordination. After three years we are so excited to finally have the teen center back open to serve the teens in the Ticonderoga Area. It has been such a joy to not only have the teens back, but to have a wonderful, dedicated staff alongside me to make this program a success. We have made some improvements and positive changes to the center and the teens have loved it so far,” stated Jackie Palandrani, Silver Bay YMCA Youth & Teen Director.
The Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center provides teens with a safe space to connect with their peers, engage in opportunities to grow, and have the freedom to be themselves. The Teen Center creates a welcoming after-school environment that is driven by the concept of positive youth development. The center prioritizes a supportive environment, flexibility and variety of activities and opportunities, and freedom for youth to choose how to engage in those activities or with their peers. The center started in 2013 and prior to its closure due to the pandemic, over 70 percent of local teens were visiting the center on a regular basis.
Participants in the program develop stronger relationships with themselves, their peers, their families, and the community. The Teen Center promotes the core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. The staff encourages participants to make healthy life choices, connect with others and engage in activities that positively impact their community.
In addition to operating the Teen Center, the Silver Bay YMCA Team and Teen Center participants are actively involved in the community and often coordinate aspects of events with the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ticonderoga Montcalm Street Partnership.
“I am so happy to be back at the Teen Center, where when I was younger, I always enjoyed going. All the teens who have come back so far have raved about how much the center has changed in such a positive way. I love being able to give back to a place that was always such a safe and exciting environment to be,” commented Fallon Jordan, Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center Attendant.
The Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center is offered at no cost to the community and is 100% funded by generous donations. All donations are tax deductible. To make a donation contact the Silver Bay YMCA Development Director, Hannah Jay at 518-543-8510.
Silver Bay YMCA’s mission is to foster relationships, strengthen communities and nurture the spirit, mind, and body of all. As a cause-driven organization, Silver Bay YMCA offers a variety of outreach programs in addition to the Teen Center as a way to inspire individuals and families to connect with one another in meaningful ways and strengthen local communities. These initiatives include respite opportunities for patients undergoing treatment for cancer, military personnel, families facing extraordinary circumstances, and clergy; financial assistance for local children to attend summer camp at Silver Bay YMCA; and many more community programs designed to bring people, families and communities together. Anyone interested in learning about or participating in these programs can visit Silver Bay’s website at https://silverbay.org/mission-impact/. In addition to celebrating the return of the Teen Center, Silver Bay YMCA is celebrating their 120th Anniversary in 2022.
For more information on the Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting Celebration, contact the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce at 518-585-6619 or visit www.ticonderogany.com.