By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Leaders and members of Fusion Youth Outreach Center recently held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location, 924 Carrollwood Drive in LaPlace.

The new center boats of a large meeting room, a computer room and a couple other smaller rooms for youth to gather.

Renita Graber, founder of the non-denominational center, said Fusion Youth Outreach Center is a facility designed to meet the needs of 21st century youth. She said the center is designed to aid in the academic, social, emotional and spiritual development of local youth.

Fusion was established in November 2012 and previously used facilities at Riverlands Christian Center to meet.

On opening Fusion, Graber said she is “standing boldly in direct opposition of the spiraling trend of society”.

“If we want to see a change, we have to become the change we want to see,” said Graber. “Instead of joining in conversations about the youth saying statements that ‘they are out of control,’ I had to put myself in position to do something about it.”

Youth meet at the center every other Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to all young people between the ages of 12 to 21.

During meetings, the teens are encouraged to showcase their talents such as singing, miming or performing

spoken word. Each week’s meeting message has a theme, and a video is often shown to correspond with the theme. Leaders are on hand each week to facilitate talks after the video.

Rena Jackson, a 21-year-old Fusion participant, said she likes Fusion because it pulls young people off of the streets and let them show off their talents.

Fusion offers tutoring on Tuesdays

and Thursdays, and mentors are also

available. Each year participants take part in a number of

retreats and social outings.

St. John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom and Lucien Gauff III, St. John Councilman At-Large Division A, were on hand for the ribbon cutting.

More information about Fusion can be found at www.rjgministries.com.