Family, community, and mentorship: The 906 Youth Center opens its doors

By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, November 9th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

LA GRANDE – Youth services involve far more than basic counseling and local activities. Conversely, not every troubled youth is in a position where immediate, emergency intervention is the best course of action. For many, a sense of purpose and a feeling of community, along with some genuine mentorship, can make all the difference. While it could be argued that the concept of community goes beyond a tangible location, having a physical space to call one’s own certainly doesn’t hurt. The 906, a new La Grande based community youth center overseen by Youth 360, aims to be that place for Union County.

The story of the 906 and Youth 360 begins, appropriately, with the community. Several years ago, representatives of multiple community organizations, including Training and Employment Consortium, Center for Human Development, and the Union County Juvenile Department convened to form the Youth Alliance, a collaborative effort to fix the perceived gap in local youth services. This alliance would eventually result in the establishment of the Youth 360 program, and the creation of a new strategic plan to establish a proper community youth center. The center would in turn serve as a communal space for youth involved in the program and a hub for Youth 360’s various services and activities.

After searching across the county for some time, the team settled on the old Dorian Professional Building at 906 6^th Street. According to Nicholas Batten, Special Projects Manager for Training and Employment Consortium, the name “The 906” was picked by kids in the Youth 360 program and simply came from the building’s address.

The 906 officially opened its doors on Thursday, September 2, with representatives from most of the involved organizations, including Union County Commissioner Donna Beverage. That said, the center did have something of a soft opening while construction was underway back in June. As explained by Batten:

“So, we’d tear the center up on Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday we dust from top to bottom and try to get the sheetrock dust and the sawdust out…We had at-risk youth here working with us doing the construction, and so we were actually building that relationship, building bonds, and teaching them life skills while they were here helping us. So, while the center is now officially open, it really opened the day we started tearing down walls here.”

Thankfully, the team is done tearing down walls and can focus totally on building bridges. Now in full operation, The 906 is open from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with some activities running at slightly different times. As to what members can look forward to, The 906 offers:

Educational support, including open tutoring on Tuesdays.
Employment development
Mentoring
Housing navigation
Health support
Computer access

Other activities on offer include a weekly family night, music and game groups, art therapy, and open support sessions. Family night in particular is a favorite among the Youth 360 team. 906 members can bring their family to the center for a meal and social night and are also given the opportunity to help cook the meal and clean up afterwards. As explained by Kitia Chambers, Resilience Coordinator for the Juvenile Department:

“The intent of that program is to help build connection and unity within the family and to work on positive social engagement. So, we have boundaries like no cell phones at the tables, along with conversation jars to help them get to know each other and work on that bonding. And so, the whole family is welcome.”

Chambers further explained:

“They work with a local chef to prepare meals, and as soon as our kitchen is up and running, they’ll be involved with ordering the food and picking the menu, cooking, doing the dishes and cleaning after. So, we’re involving them as much as we can in the whole process, so they’ll know their budget. We’re working on all those life skills and job skills.”

Another unique amenity is the in-house music studio, which just received a $1500 dollar grant from the Northeast Oregon Network (NEON). Plenty of instruments are on hand for participating youth along with software to record their own music. It should also be of no surprise that a pool table was suggested, and acquired, relatively early on.

For those interested, the 906 is open for kids aged 13-18. Young adults aged 19-24 can also participate in the various programs though will need to arrange appointments in advance. To join, youth can drop by and sign up for membership during regular hours. Membership is completely free though does come with its own set of rules. Once onboard, 906 members are free to participate in any of the regular activities or just hang out at the center if they’d like. Youth and adults may also volunteer to help with the center and assist with mentorship. Additional information, including contact links, can be found on The 906’s webpage at https://www.unioncountyfamilysupport.com/youth-360. Questions can also be directed to Kitia Chambers at 541-910-3267 and Nicholas Batten at 541-910-3230.

As for what’s next, members of Youth 360 are pushing for the program to gain Non-Profit status and eventually allow The 906 to operate independently from the current collective of local sponsors and donors. Aside from community backers, Youth 360 is currently receiving funds through a Youth Experiencing Homelessness grant through the Oregon Department of Human Services along with a Youth Development of Oregon grant from the County Juvenile Department.

Regardless of the specific form of funding and the amenities on hand, The 906 and Youth 360 are meant to provide a safe environment for youth, and a place to focus on social, personal, and vocational development, in addition to simply letting kids have a good time. As best put by batten:

“I’m just looking forward to youth having a place in this community where they belong. There’s really not a whole lot of activities that are healthy and safe for you to do here. They have a place to come hang out, shoot some pool, and interact with adults in a safe manner. They can hang out with their friends, learn some cooking skills, and job skills, whatever they need. It’s just a place for them to go.”