 Hello, my name is Dr. Childs, and I am the founder and executive director of Trinity Educational Center. TEC is a 501c3 tax-exempt organization and a Vermont registered domestic non-profit corporation. The Youth and Educational Center's name is Infinite, and Infinite is defined as Unlimited and boundless aligning with our motto. I want to tell you a few things about myself first. I I'm the first person of color to sit on the board in South Burlington, and then now I'm the first person of color to be a chairperson. But when after seven days later, after I was elected, my son was racially harassed. So this part ties into a lot of what we're trying to do. And so here we go. Well, I am a retired disabled Navy Lieutenant, Suppo. And right now, my focus is on we're doing the lunch program and also giving our kids affinity space. Trinity Educational Center's mission is to provide youth and young adults in the community with a safe inclusive educational empowerment space. At TEC, young people are encouraged to develop their strengths and talents to bend themselves into our larger community. The picture that you see is, it was a Sunday. The students called me and asked could I open up the center? Because the South Burlington left graders were preparing for a talent show. So we can't have a we can't have anything going on unless we have a piece of time. So here are the kids, the students. And I have more pictures, but I didn't want to overreact, relate them to you. And my website is www.trinityedcenter.org, which has more pictures. So the summer meal program started in June. It may I ask to South Burlington School District, well, they're gonna have the summer meal program and I was told no. So no one in South Burlington was gonna be feeding our kids during the summer months. And so I decided to take over and my space is 1,700 square feet with the kitchenette. So just imagine we're cooking between 300 or 400 meals a week. But we have to because if you can see the faces on these kids and their parents, however leave they are, so some of them come to the center and I deliver a lot to all the old apartments because they don't have transportation. The program ends August 28th and at the University of Mars where we located. So Monday through Friday, it's still not too late to order lunch or breakfast for next week, but you have to call me 802-777-8080. Please just call me if you want to receive meals next week. We are an open site, so you actually don't have to call, but if you have a family, I just want to make sure because I cook everything, it's homemade. So I just want to make sure that I can provide the best meals for your kids. And so then we have a pick up at Odell Apartments and it was supposed to be from five to six, but what I did is it was easier to ask the parents when they were going to be home. So on Monday I dropped the meals and most of the meals are for seven days. And then Tuesday I distributed the milk. So it's easier because when you have 20 gallons of milk or 40 singles, it's easier to do them this way because I have people who just had babies and they can't come down the stairs. And so I had to go in the building and then I had a family that was sick. So we didn't know if they had COVID. So I had my little cart. So I rolled it in there and then I just leave it on their doorstep. So it's good, but then sometimes it's tiresome. I think the milk production and preparing it and shipping it out is the hardest part about it. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. And when I say, well, we cook in 300 to 400 meals a week, that means I am. I have a couple of volunteers, but if you knew, you know, being a chairperson of the board, I know the families and I know that there's a need because in Christmastime we facilitated a chili car, chili event. So we only had four to three spaces, but we ended up serving 65 people. So we know that it's a need. And please let me know if you want to receive the meals 802-777-8080. Another program we had, we were doing the thing for drugs and alcohol. So on April the 9th was check-in. And so what we're trying to do is we're trying to build the community. So for the game, we had a game. And the best thing about one of the prizes were having a ride on this guy's boat, which is really nice, the Australian Eagle. So the date was April 9th, 2022. And what we did the first round was from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. And then because we did different games, we had the bumper pool event and also we did the ginga, the large bricks. And so, and then at 3 p.m., we told it was a championship. Now we didn't have a large turnout, but we had enough youth. So I said all of them won. And then the summer session, the Infinite Youth Center provides a safe, inclusive, educational, empowering space for your youth to connect, grow, and develop their strengths and talents to better themselves in our larger community. So the hours was June 13th through August 19th, ages 12 to 8. The location was at University Mall. And the hours Monday, Tuesdays, Thursday, and Fridays was 7.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. And Wednesday was 7.30 to 5 p.m. It includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks, weekly say no to alcohol and drug abuse and activities. One of our events we had was the car wash. We were raising money to support the summer program, which is free. Here's our bumper pool. TEC has a new way of thinking by choosing to live a healthy lifestyle, emphasizing healthy alternatives. These opportunities create a safe environment that helps young people develop a sense of purpose, boost self-esteem, build skills for success, and be empowered to choose to live a healthy lifestyle. TEC strives to empower youth to find their strength, giving them the ability to say no to drug and alcohol use versus just telling them that that's the right thing to do. TEC believes there is extreme and powerful difference between the two. Nearly everyone understands that drugs have negative consequences. Still, not all youth recognize that they have a choice, especially in children's county communities, where drugs, opioids, and marijuana numbers continue to increase. The percentage of students who have tried electronic vapor product continues to increase since the first ask in 2015. And Vermont is high on the list. I think we might be number one for drug issues like opioids, but most people don't know that, but we're really high. And as as I've said, I think we're number one in the country. Given a young person a choice means giving them power, so TEC chooses to go beyond just acquiring knowledge. Instead, we focus on using their knowledge through the power of choice and influence so that young people can withstand traditional peer pressure to make their own health decisions. This was the project we did say no to alcohol and drug abuse 2022. We had seven different sessions. And you know, when you're when you're doing something like this to help the kids come in, you know, you offer, we did gift cards, free pizza. So during that time, I did emergency cards so the kids can put in their pocket and just in case something happened to them and they felt or they were drug or alcohol, you know, something happened, they can use that emergency card. And also you'll see the shirts you've chosen to live a healthy lifestyle. And what we have learned through this process is kids are more visual. So during the prep, we would touch different parts of the skeleton. And then we would show everybody what the issue was. If you're doing marijuana, what this problem this causes. And also we have posters in this little card drugs in the brain. And it gives you all the information where you can find treatment plans. So what is going on with our teams? And the issue has always been they don't have a safe space. And now with all this equity training, I made sure because it happened to my son being harassed by racially harassed by a teacher that our kids need a place to go. And my son had said in the beginning, maybe if my center would have been open before he graduated from high school, that he could have helped different people. But as soon as the community found out what happened to my child, a lot of people start talking about it. And so that's what infinite is. It's a place where they don't have to do anything. A lot of times they come in and just have snacks and play a few games and leave. But sometimes they watch movies, they're screaming from horror movies. And a lot of times we just have different activities. But one activity that I find that I didn't think because we don't have a video game. You can't have your cell phone on unless your parent is calling you. It's checkers. And they play checkers. They play checkers all day in UNO and they cheat during UNO. But I feel that the place because sometimes they take their shoes off, they're relaxing. And some parents drop their kids off and say, well, at least they have a safe space where they can go and have a good time. And that's exactly what it is. You just have to be 12 to 18. And on Fridays is our pizza night or nachos. And Saturday morning we do waffles. And then we have a movie night. So in between that time, we're doing a lot of different activities. We have canvases, they're painting. And we're getting ready to build a HO train track. And that's the scale of it. So it's going to be where they're going to design it. We're going to have to get the, they're going to order everything we need. And it's a long process, but it teaches them how to do things because you're dealing with technology, engineering and math, because it's a lot of things you have to calculate to even set up the track. And I think the hardest part for our youth are some of them are behind. So what do we offer? We have tutoring. We have a lot of parents that will come in. We have math teachers. And so we have in one section our desk. And then on the other side is computer. So it's the computer lab. And so they're quiet in the front and they're getting help with their homework. And because I do, you know, have my doctorate, I tutor a lot. And sometimes we have this room that's integrity. And inside that room is a toilet tissue, underwear, deodorant toothpaste, clothes, anything that these kids can feel that they don't have at home. And you know, one thing I've learned that kids don't want to, they're embarrassed, they don't want anyone to know. So what I do instead when they tell me, I get the bag and I put the items in there and I tell them, oh, please, please tell your neighbor we have more. So then they're not being, you know, picked at because it is, it's a different culture now. And kids are ashamed. And we deal with bullying. We don't allow that. And we have these rules where if anything happens, you know, no touching because the girls and boys, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend do show up. But we make sure that everyone feels safe and they can talk. And a lot of times I have to be honest, I'm in my office listening for keywords just to make sure everything is okay. But sometimes I'll sit in there, we'll play uno together. And one of the things that I've always, I think I respect the most that these kids want a different life. They're trying because I've learned that when you're talking about diversity, some people have the kids have questions, like, you know, it's a thing, well, we don't let you touch our hair. But then they're they're asking us a yes, because they want to know they're not doing it to be joking on your or being racist. They just want to know they want to know why you cook this this type of food, where you're from, what your culture. So that's one thing that we're working on now. Like once a week, have a different cultural meeting. So then someone just just say like me, from the United States, maybe we have a meal or Canada, something like that. I would go in, we would prepare the meal together. And we will talk about cultures. Because as an adult, it's a lot of stuff I don't know. And I want to know. So it's very important that they feel like they can talk about stuff of if something happened at school, or they have a concern. This is when you talk with your peers. And you with COVID, it was hard enough. So this place is like a social spot. So as I mentioned, they're coming there and eat. And I feel good because they're safe. Parents don't have to worry. They'll call me and say, Hey, did such and such might yes, because we're near the high school and the middle school. So they can walk. And then also we have a bus that comes directly to the mall. So my thing is to be all that the kids need me to be. And I want to I wanted to be a relationship where if they're drugged out or something happens, where they can call me no matter what time of night, that you know, and I'll pick them up with no questions and drop them off home. But I would make sure that I have the parents permission. Because I don't want, you know, with liability and people not understanding. And some people say, Well, you'll be up all night. It's okay, because it could be my child. And that's why it's very important. You know, they say it takes a village to raise a child. And that's true. So South Burlington is becoming that village where kids know where whatever they need, if they're hungry, if they have questions or need mouth home, I mean, mouth help or anything they need, they know where to come. And most days, I'm happy. Some days I'm so tired because the parents ask, Well, what time do we have to pick them up? I'm saying, Well, what time are you getting off? Because, you know, some people get off at five, and I don't want to be closing at four, or some people get off at six or 630. I don't mind staying because I just want to make sure the child is safe. It doesn't bother me at all. And sometimes, you know, I've stayed there until about seven or eight. But I didn't mind because it could, like I said, it could be me in this situation. But I can't save the world. That's what people keep telling me, but I can save as many as I can.