Community Corner

Donation Gives Newark Community Center A New Reason To Dance

A Newark community center that provides a safe space for young girls got a big gift: new floors in its ballet and multipurpose rooms.

NEWARK, NJ — Members of a Newark community center that provides a safe space for young girls recently got a reason to throw their hands in the air and stomp their feet.

Last week, local residents and officials with the City of Newark gathered for the unveiling of a new floor at Hayes Park West Center of Hope, courtesy of Lumber Liquidators Flooring Company.

In all, the company donated 1,100 square feet of flooring to improve the community center’s ballet room and a multipurpose gathering room. The gift was part of the company’s “Lay It Forward” program, which has donated more than 300,000 square feet of flooring to schools and other nonprofit organizations in need since 2007.

Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

At the unveiling, kids who use the center performed a step dance to celebrate the donation to the community center, which serves as a safe haven for girls ages 8 to 12.

“The Centers of Hope are important community spaces for our youth to come together, connect, learn and have fun,” said Patrick Council, Newark director of recreation, cultural affairs and senior services. “These centers need our care and our commitment and we welcome corporate partners like Lumber Liquidators who stepped up and donated 1,100 square feet of flooring to improve this center and help us build a more empowered city for our future leaders.”

Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“We’re thrilled to donate new flooring to support and contribute to such a valuable community center of Newark,” said Charles Tyson of Lumber Liquidators. “We are grateful for the opportunity to impact these girls’ lives in a positive way and make them proud of this space where they learn, grow and thrive.”

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.