Youth Center in Klamath Falls faces closure

Klamath Falls, Ore. – Budget problems could force the closure of a popular after-school program in Klamath Falls at the end of next week.

The Youth Center on East Main Street is run by Integral Youth Services.

“Integral Youth Services is a social service agency,” explained I.Y.S. Outreach Program Director Craig Schuhmann. “We serve at-risk and homeless youth primarily.”

About 60 to 70 kids from nearby Mills School come to the Youth Center every day.

“After school, they sign in and they have a snack,” said Youth Center Manager Carmen Pena. “It’s a U.S.D.A. approved meal.”

“Here at the Youth Center, we fed I believe 10,000 plus after school lunches,” said I.Y.S. Board Chairman Michael Pierson.

Carmen Pena said the Youth Center is much more than a lunch counter. “After they eat, we have board games, enrichment activities, arts and crafts, homework help.”

Pena visited the Youth Center when she was a young girl and began working at the Center after she graduated.

She’s now been managing the center for 8 years.

“A lot of parents rely on us for daycare,” said Pena. “They don’t get off until 5, so we have a lot of kids that come over after school.”

It costs about $10,000 a month to keep the youth center open.

Michael Pierson says that funding is running out. “With the donations going down, we just haven’t had the funds to continue – and last year, we barely scraped by.”

If funding can’t be found, the Center will close February 2nd.

Carmen Pena says that has a lot of kids upset. “When we initially told them, they burst into tears.  We have a lot of kids that have come here every day, and they’ve been coming for years.  They also want to help contribute.  They’re bringing in their change from home, and they really want to keep this place open.”

A campaign is now underway to keep the Youth Center open.

You can learn more about Integral Youth Services, and how you can help at this website:  www.iyskfalls.org

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