New Teen Center, Full-Choice Food Pantry Opens at Hailey Apartments Thanks to Boston Children’s Hospital

Located at 30 Bickford St., the Teen Center is free and available to preteens and teens ages 10 to 18, Monday through Friday from 2 to 8 pm.

The teen center is being operated by the Boys & Girls Club, thanks to a partnership between BGCB, Boston Housing Authority (BHA), and Boston Children’s Hospital. The partnership was made possible through a 3-year, $480,000 start-up grant from Boston Children’s.

In addition to long-term support of the teen center, Boston Children’s also created a full-choice food pantry, Family Food Connections, at the Hailey Apartments, which provides free fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, and dairy as well as shelf stable food to Hailey residents, and adjacent neighborhoods in addition to Boston Children’s patients.

Additional funding secured through the city will allow the BHA to implement a program for teens at the Hailey Apartments who need more comprehensive mentoring services.

“This expansion reflects our commitment to meeting young people where they are and ensuring that zip codes don’t determine access to opportunity,” said Robert Lewis Jr., Nicholas President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. “The Mildred C. Hailey Teen Center allows us to deepen our impact in Jamaica Plain. By bringing our programming directly into housing developments, we remove barriers and create pathways for teens to develop the skills they need to thrive in school, career, and life.”

Previously, BHA, Boston Children’s, Tree of Life, and residents and community partners, jointly operated a teen center at the same location for several years with limited resources and staffing challenges. The addition of BGCB brings an experienced youth serving organization, as this will be the Boys & Girls Club’s 9th teen center in Boston.

Katrina Williams, a lifelong Bostonian, is leading the teen center,  bringing more than 30 years of experience in youth development, operations, and community engagement, including two decades of service at the Yawkey Club.

“I’m honored to lead this new chapter for BGCB and to bring programming directly to the young people and families at Mildred C. Hailey,” said Williams. “I’ve seen how the right environment and support can transform young lives. This center will serve as a launching pad for the next generation of leaders in Jamaica Plain.”