Big News! Future Location of PvilleYI Headquarters
Our big announcement is that the old Pleasantville Grocery Store location will soon be PvilleYI’s headquarters!
Here’s a few things we covered in our live feed, if you missed it. Or, you can with it below!
1) This is not a youth center in the traditional sense. Although it will be focused on youth, the entire community will benefit from our work here.
2) We see ourselves as a Generational Enrichment Ministry. What this means is we believe that by impacting one person’s life in a positive way, generations around them and after them will benefit. This place will be a headquarters to carry out that ministry.
We want to make it clear that we also see ourselves as a SUPPLEMENTAL ministry. What this means is we have no intention of competing with youth groups and organizations that are already doing good work here. We want to connect kids with those, actually. This is why we will never host events on Sunday or Wednesday evenings during the school year. We love our local churches and groups and we want to support them as much as possible!
3) Our dream here is to provide classes like art, photography, music, cooking, and more. We envision hosting events and classes to help teens prepare for adulthood. Like life skills (how to fix a broken _____, how to change a tire, how to create a budget, and more). Entrepreneur and career planning will be on the agenda, too. We imagine bringing in Pleasantville alum to speak and inspire.
Optional Faith growth opportunities will be regular and we will help families connect with local churches, teach Bible reading skills (important for proper interpretation and application) and give out Bibles (to kids who express interest. This will never be forced or “required”).
This in addition to all the FUN stuff and events we’ve come to be known for around here!
4) Our entire community will benefit as well. From fun events (like our trick or treat on the square) to providing resources for parents and teens, to service projects. Research also shows that non profits like ours encourage growth and “livability” to a community! And beyond all that, we want to help bring some LIFE back to downtown!
5) How did this happen, how will it happen? This is a beautiful story involving our dear friend and board member Stacy Rowson, and her excitement about what we are going to do. Stacy is moving her Lakefront Living Custom Engraving & Gifts shop to a part of the location, and made it possible for us to begin this process. This is a beautiful story that we will tell in detail soon!
Currently, we are in the process of meeting with architects, engineers, and other building/construction experts. We are blessed to have board members with professional experience in this area, and they are doing their homework. This is definitely not something we have entered into blindly.
As we get more information, we will share it!
6) Call to Action
We need the community to do two things right now: 1) Pray. We need your prayer support more than ever! 2) Give. If you are excited about this project, we’d love for you to consider giving. Every little bit helps us to create a base to begin this protect. This is especially important at the early stages, as most grants we will apply for require a certain percentage of the funds to be raised.
7) WE LOVE this location, and we know the community does too. It has been nourishing Pleasantville for generations and our goal is that it will continue to. We love and appreciate the nostalgia surrounding Pleasantville Grocery, and we want to honor that history in many ways. We want to make sure the community understands that!
That’s it for now. We will keep all of you up to speed as this process unfolds! If you have questions, feel free to contact us! We’d love to talk!
If you want to know how to donate, you can see how here: