Brookline Teen Outreach gives Pittsburgh teenagers the resources for success | KD Sunday Spotlight
For 12th grader Keith Edmonds Jr., the piano provides peace of mind, and he plays it at will inside the Brookline Teen Outreach nonprofit space.
"Brookline Teen Outreach is just a space where I can come and be myself," he said.
He and more than 270 other kids can do just that, be themselves, and they develop transformative connections that help young people grow emotionally, socially, and find themselves.
"Yeah, how comfortable I got. How I opened up and began to talk to everybody and be friendly, and now there's not anybody in the teen center who doesn't know me," said Edmonds.
For six years, he's participated in the after-school drop-in program that provides dinner, clubs, and activities, from art and STEM to homework help.
"We've become a staple over ten years," said Caitlin McNulty, the executive director for Brookline Teen Outreach.
They're more important now than ever; with teen takeovers happening nationwide, they need a healthy, free outlet.
This nonprofit serves kids 10-18 years old. She said,
"They're really incredible young people who have a lot to say," McNulty said. "A lot of the first steps are just facilitating that kindness and learning how to follow rules, not because you're told to, but because you want what's best for the greater good."
That good spirit ripples out to the greater Pittsburgh area.
"They're really growing into young adults who are caring for their broader community," said McNulty.
Through their program, they inspire the next generation, and graduate and undergraduate students at local universities help with programming and free counseling.
"Whatever that looks like to them, and sometimes it's about acknowledging opportunities that they didn't even know," McNulty said.
For Edmonds, receiving the services the nonprofit provides, including counseling, has motivated him to go into the profession too.
"I'm not perfect, but I pride myself on being very well-tempered and emotionally intelligent," said Edmonds.
It's a nonprofit that's been helping all kids find and reach their potential for ten years, and more to come. Edmonds said his message to other teens is, "It's safe here, you know. It's safe to be yourself. It's safe to be even who you don't want to be at the time, like if you're feeling upset, you don't really want to be an upset person all the time. It's okay to come here, and you'll still get the same love."
The next big event for this nonprofit is the end-of-year giving campaign. They are raising funds to sustain the free services for students.
For more information on the fundraiser and Brookline Teen Outreach, head to their website.
