BETHEL — West Parish Congregational Church has been reaching out recently to one of the less acknowledged populations of the Bethel area – the teen population. This outreach has taken form of a teen hangout space in the Church basement, with activities, food, and volunteers from the local community.

The idea was formed about a year ago by Henrietta List. Her original plan was to have a “teen drop-in center.” She began talks with the North Star program, asking “whether we could do something in programming for kids.” List observed that “safe places for them to go and safe places for them to sit and chat were few and far between.”

From that observation she said, “We decided to do that with the resources we had.” The program has evolved greatly since its inception. Through work with Kristen Powell, a guidance counselor at Telstar, arrangements were made to have a bus that runs to and from the teen hub, bringing kids there after school, then back to Telstar in time for the late bus.

Last January, the program made the decision to expand past just Telstar as it moved beyond being solely a North Star program. Currently any students from SAD44 are allowed, including students who are homeschooled. The program began with six kids and since then, according to List, upwards of 25 are registered, though they may not all show up regularly. Out of the 25 children registered, at least six of them are homeschooled. “It gives them a chance to talk with other kids,” said List.

Cooking was one of the first activities offered at The Hub, with enthusiastic reception from the students. From there, communication was established with an interest group at Telstar, who did a survey of students, meant to gather information on who might like to attend something like a teen center. Ideas for activities are provided by the kids, and the volunteers do their best to make them happen.

Volunteers who attend the teen hub either teach the kids something like art or music, or help them cook something. Any leftovers are available for kids to take home if they need it, or frozen meals are also provided for kids who might need some extra food for home.

List expressed enthusiasm for the program. “I’m not sure if we’re serving the kids or if the kids are serving us,” she said. The space provides a chance for the younger generation to interact with the older generation, in a space for them to relax and enjoy themselves. Each meeting starts out with an unofficial “question of the day”.

List described it as a way to “learn a bit more about each other. We don’t get a lot of chance to just sit down and talk.” The questions can be as casual as a favorite Halloween candy or favorite stretch, though List says “Sometimes we have more serious ones.”

Currently The Hub is open on Thursdays, through student suggestions. The original plan was oriented more toward weekend, but student interest was more focused toward having somewhere to go during the week. Since then, the basement of the West Parish Congregational church has been open for teenagers who need or simply want a place to go, hang out, and enjoy each others’ company, along with members of the community.