South End Teen Center

06/01/2026

🚨Drumroll Please! $3,238.49 RAISED! 🚨
We are officially on our way! Huge thanks to our incredible community and ambassadors for helping us raise $3,238.49 so far for our Sponsor a Teen campaign!

Shoutout to our amazing online donors for giving to our cause, those who shared our post, and the wonderful anonymous donor who dropped off a contribution at Holy Cannoli—you completely made our week! ✨

Our Sponsor a Teen initiative does so much to keep our center thriving, but we still need your help to reach our $10,000 goal by the end of June.

Let’s keep the momentum going! 💪

📍 Click the link in our comments to donate or share this post to spread the word!

https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/kennebec-valley-community-action-program/setc-appeal---spring-2026

05/29/2026

Our yard was humming this week! We always love it when our partners from Snow Pond Community Arts stop by for a jam session.

“Music with Ben,” as we affectionately call it, is one of our longest-running and most beloved programs. It’s a space where our teens can:

* Earn their own instruments through dedication and practice.
* Experiment with new sounds and gear.
* Jam out and find their rhythm alongside their friends.

Programs like this give our youth a voice and a creative outlet they might not find anywhere else. Through our Sponsor a Kid campaign, you can help ensure every teen has the chance to come experience programming like this at our center.
Help us hit our goal!

https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/kennebec-valley-community-action-program/setc-appeal---spring-2026

05/28/2026

Wednesday’s hike up Mt. Phillip was perfect. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the energy was high!
But at its core, Adventure Therapy is about trading devices for the trail to build:

* Confidence by tackling tough climbs.
* Resilience through physical challenges.
* Peace in the great outdoors.

Help Us Keep the Momentum Going
We want every child to experience activities like these at the teen center. Through our Sponsor a Kid fundraiser, your donation covers programming like this.

Invest in a kid’s journey. Every dollar helps us get another student into the fresh air and moving toward a brighter future.

https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/kennebec-valley-community-action-program/setc-appeal---spring-2026

05/27/2026

Yesterday our staff went to the Central Maine Readers' Choice award where we were a finalist for the Best Children & Youth Organization category. Thank you all for your votes! Pictured from left to right: Anna, Aimee and Sal.

05/23/2026

05/22/2026

Thanks, State Representative Paul Flynn for the amazing post that highlights our center!

5-22-2026, Friday! Reach around, if you can, and pat yourself on the back; you made it through another week! And, we're sitting on the doorstep of a Maine Memorial Day Weekend! Let the summer begin!
Pictured here, on the doorstep of the KVCAP South End Teen Center, is the staff and participant of the Center. From L to R, Aimee Morris-Program Manager, Andrea Pasco-Development Director for KVCAP, Me, Rep. Shelley Rudnicki-District 67 , Aliya Bourque-Teen, Anna Holdener-Youth Specialist. Had a visit there Wednesday at the invitation of Aimee and all I can say is WOW!
This program, open to any teen who can get there, provides a very welcoming and loving place for the teens to come after school. They come by bus, they come by car, they come by bike and they come on foot, but they come! Aliya(pictured above) gave us the tour and you would have thought she was staff, and as evidenced by her demeanor and excitement, made it very apparent that this place has changed her life and those of many others of her peers!
The staff's energy is exciting and it was clear that KVCAP has hit a home run in addressing the needs of our Youth in the Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield area.
I would like to thank Aimee, Andrea, Anna for their untiring dedication to this program. I want to congratulate Aliya for her advancement in the level of maturity and advocacy she brought as a proud participant and leadership in the success of the Center.
I would encourage ALL to take the time to give Aimee a call, go get a visit, see what's happening for our Youth in Winslow/Waterville and all the area towns.
What a wonderful model for all.
So, Happy Friday, Memorial Day blessings to all. And remember, there's a cost to living in this great country, the cost requires sacrifice; a cost that preserves a very precious commodity- FREEDOM.
God Bless.
Paul R. Flynn

05/22/2026

When one door closes, another opens! 🏛️

We originally planned a trip to the State House this month, but since the legislature wasn't in session that day, we decided to bring the State House to us! On Wednesday, we were honored to host our local legislators right here at our center.

It was a fantastic opportunity for them to meet our members and, more importantly, see firsthand the work we do here in the South End. We were proud to show them the real-world impact our programs have on our members and their families every single day.

A huge thank you to our amazing member, Aliya for being our tour guide. Paul Flynn, Cassie Julia, and Shelley Rudnicki (in alpha order) for taking the time to visit, listen, and support our community! 🤝✨

05/21/2026

We’ve been busy getting our hands dirty this week! Our team has been working overtime to get the garden fully planted and hydrated, and the hard work is already paying off in a sweet way.

None of this would be possible without the incredible support from our local partners. We want to send a massive thank you to: Jason with Holy Cannoli: & Sunset Flowerland and Greenhouse for providing us with the high-quality plants and resources to make this garden thrive.

We are officially on "sprout watch"! We can't wait to see which of our veggies—the tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants—breaks through the soil first.

Stay tuned for more "growing" updates! 🥬🍅🔥

05/15/2026

🌿 Green Thumbs in Training! 🌸

Our teens had an incredible field trip today to Sunset Flowerland and Greenhouse, and our raised garden beds are about to look better than ever!

We spent the afternoon picking out a variety of garden plants, including several types of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, eggplant, and even Brussels sprouts! To add a little extra "spring" to our space, every teen picked out a beautiful flower to spruce things up. 🌷

Gardening is such a fantastic life skill to learn, and we didn't just shop—we studied! Before we headed out, the team taught us the ropes on:

Proper planting techniques 🪴

Creating a consistent watering schedule 💧

Pro-Tip: Keeping our peppers and cucumbers inside for a little longer until those nighttime temperatures stay nice and warm! 🌡️

A huge THANK YOU to Sunset Flowerland and Greenhouse for your incredibly generous gift to our Teen Center. We are so excited to watch these plants grow!

And a special shoutout to Jason with Holy Cannoli for coordinating this entire visit and taking time out of your busy day to hang out with us. You’re a rockstar in our community! 👊✨

Stay tuned for updates as our garden starts to bloom! 🍅🌶️🥬

05/14/2026

Yesterday, our teens hit the Quarry Road Trails for an unforgettable muddy adventure. Despite the drizzle, we took to the woods to explore the terrain.

A massive shoutout to Quarry Road for letting us try out those high-quality mountain bikes !

We are beyond grateful for our incredible community partners. Thank you to Quarry Road Trails and our Adventure Therapy program for providing the space, the gear, and the support to help our teens build resilience and find joy in the great outdoors.

We’re already looking forward to the next ride (maybe with a little more sun next time)! 🌲💪