Restored funding revives Five Towns Community Center

Nearly a year after having to severely cut youth services due to a loss of $400,000 in Nassau County funding, the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence reinstated some of those programs this summer, with more to come in the fall.

“We were preparing to look at serious restructuring,” said the center’s executive director, Bertha Pruitt. “Last September, my heart was broken because parents were ready to bring their children back and the students were ready to come back but we had no programs to offer them.”

In June 2012, County Executive Ed Mangano sent letters to 43 private youth agencies and 15

mental-health and addiction-treatment agencies that had contractual arrangements with the county, informing them that their funding would be eliminated unless they could persuade at least three Democratic lawmakers to side with the Legislature’s 10 Republicans to approve a measure to borrow $41 million to pay the county’s tax-certiorari debts — the successful challenges of property tax assessments.

The Democrats refused, and said they wanted to negotiate a plan for legislative redistricting. The 19 legislative districts must be reapportioned after every federal census to ensure a roughly equal number of people in each district. There would be no restoration of the funding cuts without the redistricting agreement.

On Jan. 1, however, $260,000 of the lost funding — 65 percent — was restored, and by June the rest was reinstated. “County Executive Ed Mangano and Legislator Howard Kopel fought to restore funding to the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence and many of the youth service organizations throughout Nassau,” said Katie Grilli-Robles, a Mangano spokeswoman, adding that the county secured property tax refunds for residents through a source she did not identify.

Community Center Director Peter Visconti said the restoration of funds was great news. “We’re thankful for not being demolished by the cuts,” he said. “And we’re able to provide some great opportunities for the kids again.”

In January, after the partial restoration, the center’s middle school after-school program, which operates during the school year as well as for six weeks during the summer, was reinstated. The program offers homework assistance, recreational activities and individual counseling, among other services.

Nerthi Sanchez, a youth outreach counselor, was let go last July, but rehired in January. “Financially, I was able to take care of myself again, but the kids need this,” she said. “Most of them are in transition from childhood to young adulthood, and life is changing. This serves as a place for them to belong.”

Lawrence Middle School seventh-grader Gerardo Claure said this is his first summer in the middle school program. “I joined because everyone who works here is really nice,” he said. “It also means a lot because I get to hang out with my friends, make new ones and have fun. I really look forward to it.”

In October, the restored funding will also revive evening recreation and cultural enrichment programs, such as Latin and black history celebrations, as well as individual and family counseling for at-risk youth and their parents, career guidance, employment counseling and assistance with college applications and financial aid, Ultimately, the center will be able to rehire seven group leaders and two counselors, including Sanchez.

“It’s good to have the funds back, because it puts us back on track,” Pruitt said. “Youth services are the core of what we do here, and though it was a tough and painful time here, it’s good to be able to once again offer something for the kids.”

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