A hike with our teens: Whiteface Mountain, right here in Wolfeboro!
News From The Staff

“I’m thankful that school is open,” nearly half of KYC participants expressed this when asked to share what they were thankful for before our annual KYC Thanksgiving dinner; everyone agreed with the sentiment. In November 2019, thirty of us sat shoulder to shoulder for our Thanksgiving meal. None of us would have predicted that in November 2020 we would need to host two separate Thanksgiving meals (one for each learning cohort), that we would dine at a distance, that we wouldn’t be able to safely uncover our faces until seated; most of us certainly assumed that the opportunity for our students to attend school in-person could be taken for granted. Everyone at the KYC is so thankful for the opportunity to provide support and structure to make this challenging year a little bit easier for our teens and their families.

Since the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the KYC has been offering more hours of programs than ever before. We offer longer and more individualized programs to both of the school district’s learning cohorts. Students are invited to come to the Center in the early afternoon for our new ‘Lunch and Learn’ program, during which we offer remote learning support and a free hot lunch. Our new food pantry, The KYC Kupboard has proven to be a wonderful resource for families. Students have been busy practicing finding, applying for, and interviewing for jobs. Team work yielded two brand new picnic tables, hand crafted by our teens. Students did an amazing job creating videos thanking the sponsors of our Chilly Challenge! Each week, we join Eric from White Horse Recovery on Google Meet for our substance misuse prevention programs. Games, bike rides, campfires, hikes, walks, and more have helped to keep everyone healthy and balanced. 

We have a lot to be thankful for. We’re so thankful that our Chilly Challenge fundraiser was such a huge success. We’re so thankful that our annual appeal has been met with such generosity. We’re thankful that both our long-time funders and new supporters have chosen to invest in our work, which we believe is more important than ever before.  We’re thankful that our students and families have remained healthy. We’re thankful for how well our community has pulled together. Most of all, we’re thankful for the opportunity to serve our wonderful teens!

It’s with that gratitude that we bring you this newsletter, a quick recap of a busy fall!

In health,

Zachary and Mara
Board of Directors 
President 
Kevin Sanzenbacher 

Vice President 
Matt Lawlor 

Treasurer 
Gregory Eldridge  
 
Secretary  
Gina Jewell  
   
At Large 
Barbara Lobdell
David Maher
Don Smith
Kevin Van Brunt 
 Maria Found
 Martha Krause 
  Pete Llewellyn
 
Staff
Executive Director 
Zachary Porter  

Teen Director 
Mara Michno  
There are many ways a donation can help the KYC continue meeting the growing needs of our community's youth population. Our mission depends on your support. The KYC is a 501(c) 3 organization and all donations are tax deductible.
 
Donations may be sent to PO Box 697, Wolfeboro Falls, NH, 03896.
Or donated online here
Check out our new video!
KYC participants worked really hard to create a video about the youth center! Check out this short, 2 minute video to get a tour of the KYC!

Thanks to all who made our Chilly Challenge a success!

We are pleased to once again thank our generous sponsors, donors, and others who contributed to the KYC’s Chilly Challenge fundraiser! 
This event consisted of a cold dip in the ocean on
November 21 followed by a virtual celebration on November 23. 

With heartfelt thanks,
Everyone at the Kingswood Youth Center
Halloween Fun!
Our lit up gourds!
All costumed up, ready for our Halloween party!
Halloween is always a favorite holiday around here! While we couldn't put on our Kingswood Spook Center event, like we have done for the last few years, we were still able to have a blast. We carved gourds, watched Halloween movies, dressed up, did mini-tick-or-treating to the spooky candy villages we made, and enjoyed all of the delicious treats that come along with the holiday!

We are impressed, over and over again, by the adaptability our teens have shown us. They seem to be able to have fun no matter what, and are full of energy, excitement, and good ideas!
Thanksgiving and Halloween Care Packages
An overflowing horn of plenty for our Thanksgiving care packages!
Our Halloween care packages were filled to the brim!
With help from friends of the KYC and the New Hampshire Food Bank, the KYC was able to distribute Thanksgiving care packages to over thirty KYC participants.
The packages included a turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, fresh fruits and vegetables, and plenty of treats! Families were also able to round out their care packages with food from the KYC Kupboard, KYC's own mini food pantry.

The month before, we handed out Halloween care packages, full of fresh and frozen foods, shelf stable items, and treats! We also set up a display of Halloween costumes for families to take and keep!


We are looking forward to creating Holiday care packages in a few weeks!
Thanksgiving Traditions
Every year at the KYC, we get to enjoy a thanksgiving meal together! Before our meal, everyone shares what they are thankful for. Many teens shared that they are thankful that they can attend school in person... and the KYC. They also shared that they were thankful for food, family, friends, and their health. We wholeheartedly agree with all of their sentiments.

We are so grateful for our KYC participants and supporters. We wouldn't be able to do any of this without all of YOU!
Woodworking: Picnic Tables!
This fall we embarked upon an ongoing project, building and restoring picnic tables. We started by building two new picnic tables from start to finish. Next we embarked upon refurbishing two of the KYC’s existing tables. Students showed creativity and teamwork and practiced painting and carpentry skills. Nice job KYC!

For our new tables, we chose to go with a natural look, finishing with clear stain. In refurbishing some tables that the KYC has had for over 10 years, we decided to get creative and show our KYC spirit! Below there is one ‘before shot’ and two ‘after shots’ of our completed work. These table now match our building, which is red with white trim.

This project was made possible by the Governor Wentworth Arts Council and local donors. Thank you!
Fun at the KYC!
Enjoy some pictures of all the fun we have been having around here lately!
The KYC is a 501(c) 3 organization and all donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your consideration.