The face of Wilmington City Council has changed significantly, with six new members as 2017 gets underway.
Yolanda McCoy is one of those new members now in office. The 6th District Councilwoman says there’s an absence of youth programs in her district – something she’s determined to change.
McCoy says during the nearly 12 years she’s lived in the city of Wilmington she’s seen a dramatic decline of youth programming, including the closing of the Jackson Street Boys & Girls Club in 2010.
“The kids actually hung out there on that corner for a while before they finally gave up and realized the doors weren’t opening anymore," McCoy said. "I believe that once the doors open they’ll come back.”
Former 6th District Councilwoman Sherry Dorsey Walker says the $400,000 Councilman Bob Williams wanted to use to restore the building last summer wasn’t enough to tackle a serious asbestos problem – and estimated total restoration costs in the $3 million range.
Instead, the funds were directed to youth summer programming at Pulaski and Parkway Academy.
McCoy works for a community center – the West End Neighborhood House – and says that role equips her to address youth programming needs in the 6th District head on.
“It’s all about making sure our kids stay engaged so they won’t look outside at the street corners and such for entertainment or mentors," McCoy said.
She's seeking to fill the gap with creative and innovative youth programming.
“Today’s programming, 2017," McCoy said. "We cannot think that we’re going to get young people walking in the doors if we’re doing 2008 programming.”
McCoy said kids she works with at the West End Neighborhood House are creative – and thinks more open mics for them to share their voices via spoken word, rap and other means could be attractive to them.
Through her work as a restorative justice coach, she’s also helped kids give back through volunteering at senior centers and food banks.
Additionally, McCoy advocates for the cleanup of area parks that have also gone downhill in recent years such as Canby Park which saw its pool close.
