To the Editor:

As the Bird Street Community Center approaches its 38th anniversary of being the cornerstone of the Uphams Corner Community, the staff and board of directors would like to take this opportunity to thank the community, our many corporate and foundation sponsors, and our city and state officials for their continued support. We would also like to thank our many college-student volunteers who assist tirelessly with the day-to-day activities that take place at Bird Street.

The staff and board remain committed to Bird Street’s mission to instill in our youth and young adults the intellectual, social, and leadership competencies to deal effectively with daily challenges, strive for academic success, and pursue employment opportunities.

Through our Youth Development programming we provide a richness of education, job readiness, and entrepreneurial programming (such as fashion design, dance, glass blowing, and social media), blended with athletics and recreational activities with the primary focus being post-secondary education and or career exploration and development for youth and young adults ages 10 to 22.

Through our School Age Child Care Programming, Bird Street offers parents before and after school care at six schools and at Bird Street for children ages 5 to 13, providing homework assistance tutoring, arts, music and fitness/recreation.

Additionally, our Summer Day Get Away Program offers a full day of summer camp at the Hale Reservation in Westwood, with educational and recreational activities that provide a safe and fun-filled experience in addition to providing numerous employment opportunities for our teens and young adults.

Through the programs offered by Bird Street our dedicated and caring staff and volunteers have touched the lives of thousands of youth from the communities that we serve. The majority of our Youth Development staff are former Bird Street members who have worked their way up through the ranks and are committed to giving back to their community.

Bird Street Community Center remains committed to the Uphams Corner Community and looks forward to the next 38 years of providing quality services to our youth and young adults.

- Kevin V. O’Rourke, Executive Director;
Edmund Marcarelli, Board President