Mayor Rosamilia Proclaims March 12th as Troy YouthBuild Day
Posted March 16, 2015Troy, NY –Thursday, March 12, 2015 – Today, CEO’s YouthBuild program members gathered to unveil a new gift to the Lansingburgh district of Troy: two handcrafted Adirondack chairs donated for public use in Powers Park. These gifts were made in honor of National YouthBuild Day – a country-wide day of recognition honoring the YouthBuild initiative and the 250+ YouthBuild programs currently active across 46 states.
“YouthBuild is powerful because it is about transformation,” says Angela C. Brust-Balogun, CEO’s YouthBuild program manager. “We support and nurture young people in the transformation of their lives while impacting our surrounding community through service learning.”
The YouthBuild members selected Powers Park as the location of choice due to the program’s long-standing residency in Lansingburgh. In the summer of 2015, CEO’s YouthBuild program will permanently relocate to CEO’s new Urban Training Center, currently being built at the organization’s main campus on Fifth Avenue near Hoosick Street. “We see this as a way to give thanks to our Lansingburgh neighbors, as we have felt at home here since the beginning. As excited as we are about moving into our new state-of-the-art training facility this summer, Lansingburgh will always hold a special place in our hearts,” added Brust-Balogun.
“The City of Troy is very fortunate to have organizations like CEO, who are so committed to our youth and the community,” said Troy Mayor Lou Rosamilia. “I appreciate and accept these gifts from the YouthBuild program and I look forward to seeing them in their permanent home in Powers Park.” The Mayor took photos with the YouthBuild members, also trying out the chairs himself. He also read a proclamation, which officially instated March 12th as Troy YouthBuild Day.
CEO’s YouthBuild program serves low-income youth ages 16-24 who have struggled in a traditional educational setting. The program focuses on training and education, giving youth the opportunity to learn valuable hands-on job skills while concurrently earning their High School Equivalency degree. The AmeriCorps-supported program engages in service projects throughout the community with a focus on construction. YouthBuild currently partners on construction projects with Habitat for Humanity Capital District and Margination.
