In my neighborhood there’s a small ministry that opens its doors for a few hours in the evening to high school aged kids. It’s nothing fancy, just a free pool table and snacks in former video game rental store. The type of kids that frequent this place aren’t exactly the kind you want hangin’ around, especially if you’re an upstanding member of the community, like a business owner. The kids that gather there often bring with them their miss match style and drama. At times the crowd can be loud, ugly or even a little unruly. But then again, what can you expect from teenagers.
In the early years of this organization, it had to struggle against businesses in its community to exist. Many wanted it shutdown as complaints against it grew. It quickly became the neighborhood pariah. It seems the biggest problem people had with the place wasn’t only the gathering teenagers, which some deemed dangerous, but it brought in no revenue as it was non profit and operated on donations.
The place sits in a unique area, right in the center of three bars. These bars generate more noise, waste, blood, vomit, urine and violence than the kids at the hangout. (Though often there are voluntary shutdowns by the volunteer staff due to behaviors and other issues) The difference it seems is money. The bars can contribute to the local economy, but the teenagers just leech.