• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / Reopened Holton Center serves Riverwest, Harambee youth

Reopened Holton Center serves Riverwest, Harambee youth

February 18, 2016 by Emmy A. Yates 3 Comments

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Rodney McCoy, Cameron Henderson and Zuriah Haynes pose during their basketball game. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)

Rodney McCoy, Cameron Henderson and Zuriah Haynes pose during their basketball game. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)

After closing its doors for four months, the Holton Center at 510 E. Burleigh St. has reopened thanks to a new partnership with COA Youth and Family Centers. Open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., the after-school center seeks to provide a positive environment for preteens and teenagers in the Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods.

The Holton Center closed in late August due to a lack of funding, creating a hardship for neighborhood youth.

“Kids had nothing to do and were bored,” said Riverwest-Holton Youth Development Manager Greg Reinholt. “You could tell that the center’s absence was tough on them.”

While the center was closed, Holton approached COA about taking it over. COA agreed, not only because of the opportunity for more program space, but because of what Reinholt described as a “civic responsibility.”

The Holton Youth and Family Center recently reopened. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)

The Holton Youth and Family Center recently reopened. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)

“COA has been a partner and supporter of Holton since the beginning,” COA Executive Director Tom Schneider said. “This unity is great for the program so that it can continue to grow.”

“It felt like a good fit,” he added.

Holton Center staff members are happy with the participation they’ve seen since the reopening. The center currently averages about 30-40 participants per week and Schneider expects to see double the number of teens and preteens within the next year.

The center is focusing on programming that helps teens make good choices, Reinholt said. The “Making Proud Choices” program covers health and wellness issues, ranging from how to eat right to sexual abstinence. Other programs include conflict resolution and, through Milwaukee Public Theatre, public speaking, theatre and poetry.

Small group meetings allow young people to meet and connect with older peers as well as professional counselors.

“A lot of these kids don’t have a lot of interactions with positive adults,” Reinholt said. “That’s why it’s important to have professional staff that these kids can count on.”

The Holton Center wants to be seen as not just a place for young people to hang out, but as an environment full of positive peer interactions that help lead them in the right direction.

“It’s good for the youth,” said 13-year-old Zuriah Haynes. Having attended the center for most of the last three years Haynes said she felt really sad when she heard it would close. Since its reopening Haynes has spent most of her after-school time there, becoming the center’s “Teen of the Month” because of her participation and peer encouragement.

“A youth program makes the neighborhood seem young,” Haynes said. “Now it’s not as dark and scary in Riverwest anymore.”

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Carousel, Community, Harambee, Home, Neighborhoods, News, North

Avatar

About Emmy A. Yates

Comments

  1. AvatarCari Kuehmichel says

    February 18, 2016 at 2:14 pm

    Mr. Schneider, a huge hug goes out to you and your team to get this necessity reopened. I dont live in Riverwest or even nearby, but i work on 3rd and Clarke. Many of my clientele live in the area and their kids need this so badly. I would like to talk with you about some programming my company may be able to offer. Would you please contact me at the email address that is below.

    Reply
    • AvatarTom Schneider says

      February 18, 2016 at 5:43 pm

      Thanks so much for your comment. I would be glad to talk with you – we need and can use all the help we can get. I can be reached at COA Youth & family Centers at 372-6551.
      Tom Schneider

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. kendall87.jimdo.com says:
    February 29, 2016 at 8:38 am

    kendall87.jimdo.com

    Reopened Holton Center serves Riverwest, Harambee youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement

How To …

How to avoid stimulus check scams

A new round of stimulus checks will likely also bring out a new round of scams. Here’s what to watch out for.

More "How To" articles

Advertisement

Recommended Reading

A Vaccine Reality Check

The Atlantic

UWM study on the state of Black Milwaukee describes the city as ‘the epitome of a 21st century racial regime’

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Videos Show How Federal Officers Escalated Violence in Portland

The New York Times

These mayors want to fight Covid-19 and the recession with one big idea: A guaranteed income

Vox

The World John Lewis Helped Create

The Atlantic

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in