Renaissance Youth Center, a program providing after-school and Saturday activities for 4,000 kids every week, has finally been able to secure its forever home in Morrisania.
The RYC was founded 25 years ago. Since 2011, it has called 3485 Third Ave. home. However, that whole time, it was leasing the space.
"(We were) literally robbing from Paul to pay Peter, putting the pieces together to try to make it work," said Bervin Harris, president, CEO and founder of Renaissance.
At RYC, "it" means almost everything. The programs include hands-on experience with music, STEM, zoology, architecture, astronomy and more.
"I wake up with a smile on my face every day," said Matthew Gomez, a student there. "I know how lucky I am, and I feel blessed."
The issue with all those things, though, is that they cost money. Add in over $500,000 per year in rent and taxes, and Harris admits the price tag was adding up.
"Things started getting really tough, like 'Wow, rent is still going up. This, that, how are we going to do this?'" he explained.
Over two years, thanks to fundraising, donations, help from local politicians and a previous owner who was willing to play ball, they came up with enough money for the answer - buying the building themselves.
"This is everything for us," Harris said. "You're leaving behind something that you drive by 20, 30, 40 years from now [and] it's still here. Owning the building makes it the reality."
Because the RYC now owns the building, it can finally move into the top two floors, which the old owner had used for storage.
The plan is to build a cafeteria, then relocate and expand some of their interactive classrooms, allowing more schools and more kids to take advantage of the opportunities they offer.
"We are only scratching the surface," said Harris. "There's another Johnny, another Sally out there who wants to take zoology. We didn't have room for. If the lines are lining up and kids want this access, let's give them the access."
With the future in the Bronx now secured, Harris said his long-term goal is to have something like RYC in every borough.
