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ENJOY! Winchester/Frederick County Living NOVEMBER 2015
Youth Development Center remains relevant By Tom Crosby
D
uring the past two decades, tens of thousands of middle and high school students from Winchester and Frederick and Clarke Counties have participated in the programs and facilities at Winchester’s Youth Development Center (YDC). It’s a beacon for diverse, eclectic activities that currently includes Spanish language classes, non-contact boxing for people with Parkinson’s disease, a regular Sunday church service, a daily classroom for a school and basketball practice for two high schools.
More than 50 percent of area middle and high school students from the city and Frederick and Clarke Counties participate in YDC programs, according to Executive Director Regina O’Brien.
“We are a safe haven,” said the hands-on, affable, no-nonsense O’Brien. She has been the only full-time employee of the YDC ever since the Gerald F. Smith Activity Building was dedicated in December 1995 and hosted its first high school dance the following month.
Mike Lindsay, YDC chairman of the 22member board, said O’Brien is the heart and soul of the organization.
Regina O'Brien, the executive director of Winchester Youth Development Center, tidies a pair of Christmas trees decorated for sale as part of their Christmas holiday fundraiser. Rich Cooley/Daily
The handicapped accessible 22,000 square feet in the activity center and the Dave and Kathy Holiday Annex includes two gyms, With an annual budget of $300,000 and no two snack bars with kitchens, a game room, meeting rooms, a 150-seat theatre, fixed source of income, the YDC has to survive on program fees and yearly finan- two computer/TV lounges and offices. It often buzzes with activity. cial contributions from individuals, business leaders and corporations. Montana Kephart, 15, and Noah Lowe, 17, The center’s walls are adorned with appre- both students at Legacy Christian ciation plaques celebrating gifts from indi- Academy, practiced on the smaller of the two basketball courts on a recent weekend. vidual and corporations, including one naming more than 375 original business “I like it here, the basketball floors are and individual contributors. really nice and kept clean,” said Montana. “They are not slippery.” “Fundraising has become more of a challenge since the recession,” said Lindsay. “Our school doesn’t have a gym, so this is “A lot of traditional sources have dried up great for us,” said Noah. and forced us to enlarge our net and come The same weekend, Darci Rampino, 26, a up with new ideas for fundraising.” fourth grade teacher in Frederick County, In his second year as chairman, Lindsay was helping high school students with spesaid he believes there is no loss of interest cial needs socialize and have fun as part of in the center, although with the advent of Adventure Beyond. the digital age, “It is always a challenge to “This is a fantastic place with a gym and stay relevant,” he said. lots of weekend events,” she said. “It’s just ‘We have an ongoing mission to do a great facility as a whole.” fundraising and keep everything going, And on the regulation basketball court, keeping everything bright and clean,” said Lizzie Osborne, 12, who plays shooting O’Brien. guard for Front Royal’s St. John’s Catholic Fundraising is omnipresent with a Festival Church, was practicing her jump shot with of Trees on Nov. 21-22 when artificial Eric Green of Eric Green’s Athletics. trees, wreaths and centerpieces are to be “It’s awesome here,” said Osborne who sold. A fundraising Fourth Apple Capital loves the opportunity to use the YDC “so I Jingle Bell 5K and half-mile Fun Run is can get better.” set for Dec. 19. April Cook, co-leader of Girl Scout Troop As part of the YDC’s innovative business 4390 of Winchester, recently dropped off a acumen, Green has leased the gym annualdonated artificial Christmas tree decorated ly for 13 years to train athletes and the by the troop’s second through fifth graders, YDC uses it when he doesn’t.
“A lot of the program and activities are because of her ideas and execution of those ideas,” he said.
who, she said, “Wanted to give back to the community.”
YDC facilities are free for school events and anyone can rent space for a birthday
party, reunion, reception, baby shower, meetings etc. It is staffed 12 hours a day. “We will host anyone, within reason,” said O’Brien, a New York native who holds a master’s degree in education from Columbia University and was a teacher and school administrator before coming to the YDC. When she arrived, the YDC was three buildings on Shawnee Drive across for the now Trex Company housing several nonprofits helping young people, created as the brainchild of Tom and Sheila Baker. The Bakers founded Special Love, one of the nonprofits, to help children and families suffering from cancer after their daughter died from lymphoma. Later, they donated their home and 3 acres of land to jump-start YDC. “It’s a unique concept,” said O’Brien since the nonprofits don’t pay rent. The YDC maintains the grounds and does major repairs while the nonprofits pay utilities and do small repairs. Five years after its creation, following a contiguous 3-acre donation by the O’Sullivan Corporation and a successful $1.5 million campaign, the YDC activity center was built, followed in 2006 by the $1.6 million annex.
Youth Development Center Rules of Conduct • No disrespect of other members or YDC staff or volunteers. • No drugs, alcohol or related paraphilia. • No excessive display of affection. • No loitering anywhere on the YDCʼs campus • No vandalism, fighting, use of profanity nor weapons possession is permitted. • Upon admission to the facility, members may not leave an activity and return the same evening.
but say we don’t do that here. They say they’re sorry and life goes on,” she added. “We take pride in having good will. We are kind and generous to those we work with and we understand adolescents.” A continuing challenge is getting students to the activity center when school ends, since often both parents work and the kids have nowhere to go. “It’s tough for kids to get here in the afternoon,” said O’Brien. “We are working on it.”
O’Brien said she feels the YDC is “totally plugged into the community. We have an outstanding board of directors and a (eight member) honorary board and through them From the beginning, a code of conduct was a great relationship with the city and counwritten by students and “We have had very ty.” few problems over the past 20 years,” said Today, the YDC consists of four brick O’Brien. buildings that provide space for Big “We respect them, provide dignity for what Brother, Big Sisters; Boy Scouts of they do and understand they may not yet America; Child Advocacy Network; ARC have the maturity to act appropriately at all of Northern Shenandoah Valley; Shawnee times,” she said. Girl Scouts; Clean Inc.; Special Love Inc., and Young Life. “If they swear, we don’t throw them out
Merry Christmas From King James Galleries of Winchester We offer a wide variety of art and other gifts that highlight our local history and places that are special to us! Stop by the gallery and let us help you pick the perfect gifts for your family and friends. John Paul Strain: Ornament $30
John Paul Strain: New Book $50
P Buckley Moss: Old Town Winchester Sleigh Ride $100
John Paul Strain: Christmas Moon- Classic Giclee $525 258868
John Paul Strain: Christmas Gift- Studio Canvas $275
King James Galleries
P Buckley Moss: Handley Library $95
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