Alternative Youth Development Programs Canal Street Project During FY’17, members of the Lawrence Family Development SISU program continued work on the SISU Alternative Youth Development Center. The work crew, primarily composed of Lawrence Youth Team members, ushered in the new fiscal year learning masonry, hardwood floor repair and basic plumbing. With volunteer support from Kohl’s, Comcast and USI Insurance and product support from Home Depot, the walls went up, and what had been just a vision started to become a reality. The young people who put their blood sweat and tears into the project began to feel ownership for the building and the dream. In September of 2017, many of those same young people will begin education, social-emotional and workforce development programming in the space built. To learn more about the Center, visit www.lawrenceyouth.org. This Vacant Lot After Lawrence Family Development , Inc. sold the YouthBuild-Lawrence house at 165 West Street, ground was broken for the next house at 211 Jackson Street, and the students in YouthBuild-Lawrence Cycle 21 began the construction training component of the program. For many of these young people, YouthBuild-Lawrence is their first experience working with construction. They spent hours in the rain and the heat learning about wood and tools. They also begin to learn more about themselves and their peers and discover new strengths as well as some fears. They make new friends and develop a new respect for the adults working alongside them. In FY’17, with support from the Maximus Foundation, Lawrence Family Development launched a web series called This Vacant Lot to document the construction of the Jackson Street house. The web series follows the Cycle 21 students over the course of their construction time with YouthBuild-Lawrence. Five episodes are currently available at www.lfdef.org. LFDEF, INC FY’2016-2017 ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 8
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