Washington Heights Community Center
Need for GA Washington Heights Community Center Services Growing
The Guardian Angels is seeking funding to continue and expand its community-based programs in Washington Heights – Inwood. These programs are delivered by the Angels and volunteers to local youth and adults (parents, senior citizens) through the Guardian Angels Community Service Center at 1370 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY. The programs emphasize education and steer youth to positive alternatives to drugs, gangs, and violence.
Since its inception in 2003, the Center has grown exponentially in service delivery and in target population. Today, the Center is a fixture in this community, a highly-regarded and invaluable local outreach center, offering services to approximately 300 youth and adults at the center each week, and to hundreds more youth through school outreach programs.
The Center operates with a small part-time staff and a cadre of volunteers, some of which are young adults who came through this program and attest to its value. It’s up and running 50 weeks a year, 6 days a week, after school and Saturdays and open longer hours as a camp in summers. Programs include martial arts classes, personal safety, homework assistance, nutrition, arts and crafts, games, community volunteer projects, cultural arts trips, computer activities, and movies.
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Dennis "Super-Stretch" Torres
Program Director
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Dennis Torres AKA Super-Stretch is one of the original Guardian
Angels who joined in 1979 he has been in the martial arts for over 35
years. He has won several karate championships and has been inducted
into several martial arts Halls Of Fame. Super-Stretch has worked for
the past 25 years with various community based organizations, senior
citizen groups, youth groups, NYC Board Of Education, Gang & Drug
Prevention Programs. Super-Stretch is the Director of the Washington
Hts & Inwood Guardian Angels Community Service Center and also
leads several safety patrols on a weekly basis.
Youth Violence Prevention
Solutions to Bullying
Leadership Development
Gang Awareness and Prevention
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