The Hive, a local nonprofit that focuses on helping build self-reliance and life skills among youths, is moving to the 1100 block of Main Avenue and will create a small indoor skate park and performance venue.
The Hive will share the space at 1150 Main Ave. with two other nonprofits – Oak Tree Resources, which builds job skills and offers educational support for youths, and In the Weeds, a nonprofit that offers social and economic assistance to employees in the restaurant industry.
The shared location, which will be alcohol and drug free, is expected to open in early June.
“We offer passion-based exploration through mentorship,” said Kelsie Borland, the Hive’s executive director. “We’re offering youth and community members opportunities to explore their various passions and kind of find their true selves through exploration of a new hobby or learning an instrument, having an art piece put up in a gallery or learning how to skateboard.”
Carie Harrison, executive director of Oak Tree Resources, said her group’s main goal is helping foster children as they age out of foster care.
Oak Tree, which provides transitional housing to foster children as they become young adults, will use the shared space to help clients find employment, build job and life skills, and to aid them as they complete their educations.
The space will also provide Oak Tree with an area to counsel youths and provide a safe place for its clients to work with an adult they trust, Harrison said.
Blaine Bailey, executive director of In the Weeds, said the new space will provide an area close to downtown restaurants where workers can have a safe and sober communal environment to relax and meet between shifts.
It will also be a place where In the Weeds can work with its members on developing healthy life skills, and it will offer office space where restaurants can meet privately with employees.
Bailey said the shared space also will allow restaurant workers an opportunity to mentor youths in the community.
Borland said the Hive is looking for volunteers to mentor youths, to help with ongoing programs and to work at music, art and skating events it plans to have as the skate park/performance venue is developed.
Skatelite has donated ramps and other materials for the skate park, and it should be going up in the next few weeks. A performance stage will be integrated into the skate park.
“We're about to kick off our summer programming. So we are looking for volunteers and donors to help us with programs and to build out this great new location,” Borland said. “Last summer, even during COVID, we served over 120 youths. This summer with our newer, bigger space, and COVID restrictions lessening, the Hive is definitely going to be serving a lot more youth.”
parmijo@durangoherald.com
