MADISONVILLE, KY. – The Light of Chance, Inc. and the Y-Corps has teamed up for a learning-service project that will benefit the Rosenwald-Smith Multicultural Center located on 208 North Kentucky Ave.
The Rosenwald Building was established back in 1932 as the first High School in the city for blacks by Professor C.L. Timberlake. Today the building is used for a daycare and the meeting place for Light of Chance Breathe Arts Program.
“So many people pass by this building every day and don’t know what it is and what is inside,” stated Eric Logan of Light of Chance. “Hopefully… eventually this building will be a place in the community people will constantly come to and do different activities. So hopefully the people in the community will start to see some of the work we have been doing. As far as Light of Chance goes we have already done some work in the place and this is part of the extension of it. Our Breathe youth arts program is a free after school program from grades 5th-12th where we give them a creative outlet to express themselves through art, music, dance, poetry and writing. We have now been operating the program over a year… and just so happen to be in the meeting at the YMCA and the Y-Corps and talked to them about the program and they started explaining what the Y-Corp program was and what they do over the summer months and we felt like it would be a great partnership and experience for the kids and also benefit the community.”
The students from the Light of Chance’s Breath arts program has partnered with the 11th-12th graders from the YMCA Youth Association’s Y-Corps program to clean and paint the Multicultural Center. The Y-Corps service trips help bring together teams of young students to help with service work and learn about different cultures and histories of the places they visit. This group work also helps encourage teamwork, students getting more involved in their community, self-discovery and leadership. Each student also pledges to complete 50 hours of service work, and raise $500.00 for a scholarship fund.
“We are trying to get this facility back up and running again and start having programs for both youth and adults,” stated Tracy Logan, Chairman of the Rosenwald-Smith Organization. “Once we get the gym completed we want to get the city down here and have a meeting and the Board of Education. This is a central location in the city and we are trying to get the community behind us and make it work. We are excited to have the youth come down here and participate and help restore and beautify the facility. It’s an honor and a pleasure for us. We were excited when Mr. Logan brought it to the boards’ attention and I spoke to the YMCA and then it happened.”
For more information about Light of Chance or Y-Corps you can visit their individual sites at http://lightofchance.org/ and http://kyymca.org/y-corps.
Amber Mena
SurfKY News