Page 26 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 52 Winter 2025

O
YOUTH SERVING by Rajan Doering
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UT
H SERV
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GANIZA
OR TIONS
ORGANIZATIONS

July 2024 - event for youth to Wascal Wednesday - making
learn how to make butter snowmen craft activity
Nelson Mandela once said Y Teens most prominent organizations in
“there can be no keener rev- town today. The Coalition does
elation of a society’s soul than the much for our youth. The Torch Club so much for both kids and adults
way in which it treats its children.” is a leadership program designed to help combat substance abuse
One of my favorite things about this for middle school students that pro- issues. I have had the pleasure of
town is everything we do to serve vides opportunities to build leader- seeing several of their youth pro-
our youth. Most communities have ship skills and perform communi- grams in action. The Coalition visits
child care, swim lessons, and sum- ty service projects. Weekly Tween middle and high school lunch waves
mer camps, but our town has several Nights are held on Fridays, are free to build relationships with students
organizations that do so much more to Wallingford residents in middle while doing art projects and board
than that, including the YMCA, Boys school, and offer opportunities to games, and the Coalition opens its
and Girls Club, Coalition for a Better build relationships with other kids doors to youth on Saturdays for sim-
Wallingford, Grange, and Spanish and engage in fun activities. ilar activities.
Community of Wallingford.
The Spanish Community of Walling-
When I speak with people in town, ford also has a wide array of activi-
they often think of the YMCA as a ties for students, ranging from baby
great place to go for a workout or a play groups to leadership programs
swim. While that is true, they do so for middle and high school students
much more for our town than just to a thriving music school to tutor-
that. I do not have enough space in ing programs. Their programs are an
this article to highlight everything asset not only to their students but
they do but I do want to shine some to the entire town. I have attended
light on two programs in particular: several of their concerts and am al-
Fit to Go, which provides young- ways amazed by their musical tal-
er students with education about ent.
healthy living and helps them devel-
op plans for exercise, and Upward At times I hear people say that librar-
Bound, which provides at-risk stu- I have been privileged to watch ies are outdated, and nothing could
dents opportunities for recreation, the Coalition blossom from being a be further from the truth about
friendships, and adult mentorship. brand-new organization a little over our town’s library. In addition to its
The Boys and Girls Club also does so a decade ago to being one of the wonderful collection of books, our

26 Wallingford Magazine - Winter 2025