Mentor for at-risk youth talks importance of community centers around Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Basketball courts without players, playground sets without kids and community centers with closed doors. A mentor for at-risk youth in Lexington, Logan Avritt, says centers’ hours were changed during of the pandemic, but he and other advocates tell WKYT they’re barely open at all now.

“Kids have to have something to do,” Avritt said. “Without somewhere to go, or something to do, they’re usually going to get themselves into some kind of trouble. And now days, trouble means grab a gun and shoot at somebody.”

On Thursday, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton noted eight teenagers have lost lives to gun violence since April, calling on parents and community members to step up. Avritt says the kids he works with do need that support, but he says they also need support from city leaders to keep community centers open.

“They need somebody to walk through the door with the keys and open the door,” Avritt said. “There are many people in this community that are willing to work in the centers for free, that will volunteer. Anything to keep the kids focused on something positive.”

If the doors of community centers across the city continue to remain closed, Avritt says he and other teen advocates expect problems like gun violence to only get worse.

“Go look around. You’ll probably figure out no wonder why these kids are robbing stores, there’s no food in the cabinets,” Avritt said.

Avritt says they need to work with city leaders to create a solution for all of the kids now without school, sports and their community centers.

WKYT has reached out to Councilmember James Brown to learn more about the centers’ hours.

The Charles Young Community Center is one of the centers teen advocates say is operating under reduced hours. And it is in Brown’s district.

We have not heard back from him, yet.

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