Nelsonville Community Center

Athens Foundations spring grant recipient, Nelsonville Community Center, is using their $2,550 to educate the community by promoting healthy living through a substance prevention program called LifeSkills Training.

The LifeSkills Training program is proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance abuse. The program was implemented on Auguest 1 and will continue until December 31 with Boys Group on Mondays, Girls Group on Tuesdays and Power Pals on Wednesdays from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

The Nelsonville Community Center is a non-profit organization that welcomes all Nelsonville and surrounding community residents. At pre-school age, classes are offered to teach children social interaction, school readiness and educational play. School age children are educated in drug and alcohol prevention, safety education, health, nutrition and social development. A Parent Support Group provides knowledge and education to families about healthy living. The Nelsonville Community Center also provides community lunches, emergency food boxes, a free clothing bank, a community garden, a summer feeding program and an Ohio Benefit Bank site.

Factory Street Studio

Factory Street Studio is one of the Athens Foundations’ spring grant recipients. The dance studio received $1,350 in grants and will be using the money to make renovations to the dance floor and a broken door.

The scuffed up, over-sanded hardwood dance floor will be replaced with a permanent Harlequin Standfast floor made of PVC. It is a specialized floor made specifically for dance studios and has a 30 year lifespan. The downstairs exterior door is no longer capable of opening and thus it will be replaced with a new door, eliminating the safety hazard the current broken door poses.

Factory Street Studio is a pre-professional and recreational dance organization which was founded in 1978 by two Ohio University dance graduates, Cita Strauss and Marina Walchi. The studio’s mission is to provide an educational program to South East Ohio dedicated to teaching creative dance, movement, and other artistic expressions. The staff aims to maximize students self-esteem and personal growth as well as dance technique and cooperative spirit.

At Factory Street, courses are offered in modern, ballet, jazz, tap, pointe, hip-hop, and modern composition. Twenty eight classes are offered every 14 week semester, with two concerts yearly. The studio has recently added two new programs to the course; taking upper class students to the Ohio Dance Festival and a visiting artists in composition program. Student age ranges from pre-school to adult.

By receiving this grant money, Factory Street is able to increase their ability to attract more students because as the quality of the building improves, enrollment in courses increases. And as more students get involved, the studio is given a greater opportunity to “encourage personal growth and cooperative spirit through creative dance and movement.”

Shade Community Center

The Athens Foundation’s most recent grant recipient, Shade Community Center, is using its' $3,000 to fulfill their mission of “strengthening lives in the community” by purchasing new computers to replace the outdated systems available to community members. The goal of replacing the outdated computers is to provide a local site for township and community members to learn Windows 7, Microsoft Office and other computer programs that may not be available elsewhere. By offering use of computer programs free of charge, the public is given the opportunity to advance their skills for better job opportunities, school projects, or even homework. When school is in session, classes will be available for members to learn how to properly use the programs.

The Shade Community Center Association was established in March of 2005. Weekly events are held at the Center, including Shade Senior Citizens Association, Shade Lodi History and Genealogy Association, Jerseyville Jammers Music Group, quilting, open gym, and Annual Community Appreciation Day. Shade is also notorious for throwing a kickin’ Halloween bash. Weekly hot lunches are offered, the computer lab is equipped with high-speed Internet, and a library is available to the public. There’s a basketball court and baseball field open to the community, and a new walking path surrounds the field. The Center is also the only emergency shelter between Athens and Coolville.

Space is available to rent by the public, and classroom size individual offices can be leased for permanent use. If you’re interested in renting out the Center, contact President Pat Davidson at davidson@ohio.edu.