Christian Neighborhood Center of Norwich, Inc.,
Norwich, NY

Known in the community as “The Place,” the Christian Neighborhood Center of Norwich, Inc. is governed and supported by four local churches – United Methodist, United Church of Christ, American Baptist and Episcopal. The Place is a designated Neighborhood Action Program of the American Baptist Churches. Founded in 1983, The Place celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year. The Place has always focused on youth ministry, but after conducting a community needs assessment in 1996 their program shifted dramatically from a drop-in center and after school program to its current emphasis on youth job training, youth job creation and community service. Jack Salo, Executive Director of The Place, explains that the economic boom of the 1990s never reached Chenango County, in fact the region lost approximately 2,000 jobs in a ten year period. Determined to create job opportunities, job training and community service for local youth, The Place has developed two very successful programs, the Headwaters Youth Conservation Corps and Chenango Place Products. 

In 1998, The Place became involved in the EPRUS AmeriCorps Program, a former program of the National Council of Churches. By 1999, they had developed the Headwaters Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC), a regional AmeriCorps National Service Program that focuses on providing conservation service by youth ages 17-24.  HYCC has grown from a small summer program with three youth participating in 1999 to 25 youth serving in summer and year round programs this year. In the next five years, the HYCC hopes to have 50-75 young people participating in this service learning, conservation project.  The Place selects the youth solely by age and their interest in pursuing a natural resources career. This interest can range from planning and environmental science to forestry and wildlife management.

The program has attracted high school dropouts, youth in probation programs as well as college students from local institutions like Ithaca College or Cornell University. The youth work together developing conservation skills, nurturing their commitment to the region, and learning to work with others from diverse backgrounds. Youth have used the AmeriCorps education award to pay for colleges and college loans.  Others have been inspired by the program to complete their GED and pursue higher education opportunities. While The Place is the lead agency for HYCC, the program reflects the cooperation and work of over fifteen organizations, businesses, educational institutions and governmental agencies.

Chenango Place Products, their teen job training program, was started in 1997 in collaboration with the local Business Improvement District. The local BID was interested in developing a downtown pushcart market to attract tourist traffic through the town and bring new customers to local businesses. The Place purchased a pushcart and began to sell souvenirs and local products. It was originally a seasonal program focusing on the summer months. The Place then applied for Community Development Black Grant money with the City of Norwich to support expanding the job training program into a year round endeavor.  Today, Chenango Place Products trains 20 young people a year in all aspects of operating a business, including marketing, production and sales, both retail and wholesale. Chenango Place Products is committed to selling locally produced items, from 10 – 20 local entrepreneurs, and adding those local products to value added gift collections. While positioning youth for success through a supportive job training and work experience, Chenango Place Products also showcases local products, keeps consumer spending in the local community, and generates more local entrepreneurs.  The majority of the youth who participate in the program are low income and referred through the local Office of Employment and Training system.

Contact points:

Headwaters Youth Conservation Corps
Jack Salo, Director
e-mail:  hycc@theplace-cncn.org 

Chenango Place Products
Bill Wagner, Director
e-mail:  cpp@theplace-cncn.org

P.O. Box 509
Norwich, NY  13815
607-336-9696
www.theplace-cncn.org