Teen Center to finally open next week
After months of anticipation, the United Way of Steele County is ready to roll with its new Teen Center in Owatonna.
A community open house will take place on Sunday, March 1 from 3-6 p.m. at the center located at 285 18th St. SE, the former North Risk Partners building. The center is next door to the United Way.
The center will then open for teens on Monday at 3 p.m.
Normal operating hours for the center will be Monday-Friday from 3-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
“This will be a safe, fun and supportive place for teenagers,” said Annette Duncan, president of United Way. “Come hang out, connect and make it yours. Let’s make this a place where teens thrive.”
United Way is utilizing a CanRenew Community Restoration grant from the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management to launch the center and lease the facility. The center will be staffed by dedicated UPLIFT Team members and supported by the Teen Mental Health and Opioids Response teams, offering programming that meets teens where they are.
The United Way has been working since last year to get the center up and running. It ran into some unexpected delays in recent months, pushing the opening out several months later than what Duncan had initially hoped for.