Once again, this holiday season, the Lockwood family has made a donation to The Door in memory of Betty Lockwood.
“Several years ago, we lost a wife, mother, and grandmother. She is missed, and we hope she is looking down and smiling,” said Huntsville resident and Betty’s son, Jamie Lockwood.
Betty Lockwood’s grandsons, Jack and Sam, presented Youth Unlimited Director Marcy Hill with a $500 donation on Wednesday, December 12. The family is inviting others who can contribute to The Door, a program by Youth Unlimited, to do so, noting that young people need places like The Door in our growing community.
The Door program is for young people in the community in Grades 6 to 12. The program offers lunch every Wednesday and Friday, and about 100 youth attend, said Hill. “And we feed them dinner every Thursday night and Friday night, and that’s a free dinner as well. We have games; we host dances, movie nights, and outings. The space is large and inviting. There is a kitchen, cafe-style tables to sit at, as well as a pool table and other games. The owner of Upcycling In Style, a vintage clothing store at 2260 Hwy 60, also provides a fashion area where students can try on various types of clothes, hats, etc., and keep them. Hill said it’s been a hit.
“People used to think that this was just for kids who didn’t have money or couldn’t afford activities. This is a place to belong,” noted Hill. She said people think the biggest issues for youth are drugs, alcohol, or getting into fights and bullying when, in reality, it’s belonging. “If a kid has nowhere that they belong, they’re lost.”
She said young people struggle to find their place in the world and fit in. “They try to fit in everywhere; that’s why they’re in gangs, that’s why they smoke, that’s why they vape, that’s why they connect to all these, it’s so they have a tribe that they can be part of. So we’re here so that there’s not one child who doesn’t have a place to feel safe or to feel at home. We’re here so that when it’s after school, and they have nobody to go home to, no friends or clubs that someone’s paid for them to be part of, they have a space here. That they always know that they’re safe, and they always know that they belong.”
Plans are being made to address issues with water seepage in the building and renovate the space. “We have a basement that’s massive. We could do so much for the youth. We could have so many programs running,” said Hill. “We can’t use the basement properly, so this money is going to go towards the restoration,” she explained.
The building where the youth centre is located at 18 Brunel Rd in Huntsville is owned by Youth Unlimited. It includes an apartment off to the side, which helps support programming, but community support is not only appreciated but needed. Hill said volunteers are also always welcome.
Call Marcy Hill if you have some time to volunteer and make a difference in a young person’s life: 705-380-6015.
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