Real Story #1001
Safe Space for Brian
Sixteen year old Brian Marland has come to the Youth Center in Adams almost everyday for the past seven years. His friend brought him to there when he was nine, and he soon became interested in the Youth Advisor Counseling Program a club whose members lead fund raisers for the Youth Center, do community service work, and go on field trips together.
During summers in his early teen years, Brian sometimes spent five hours a day at the Center talking with friends and playing computer games with younger kids. They also played outdoor basketball at the center until a time when the court got ruined. During the past few school years, Brian has been writing his papers on the Youth Center computers because he doesn't have a computer at home.
Brian recently encouraged three of his friends to join him as regulars at the Center, and whenever his stepbrother visits Adams, Brian brings him to the Youth Center also. Brian thinks the best thing about the Youth Center is that it's a place for kids to spend time away from their parents but still in a safe, fun environment. He says that if he weren't at the Youth Center he would hang out at friends' houses or out on the street.