FYI Center To Remain Closed

By Gordon Hopkins Fairbury’s FYI (Family and Youth Involvement) Center is currently closed and the likelihood is it will not reopen anytime soon and, if it does, it will not in the same manner. The announcement first came on September 26, on social media, “It is with sadness that we announce that the FYI Center is going to be temporarily closed. Be sure to watch for updates as Blue Valley Community Action (BVCA) reviews options for space, programming, and staffing to possibly resume services.”While that post indicated the closure was temporary, Ben Schwartz with BVCA reported to the Fairbury City Council at a meeting on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, that the closure was likely permanent or longer term. If the FYI Center or FYI did reopen, he said, “It would probably look very different.”Unfortunately, the center has been hit by a “triple whammy” of insufficient funding, not enough volunteers, and problems with the building at 514 D Street in Fairbury. Regarding the building, Schwartz told FJN, “Biggest problem is the roof, which needs to be replaced. Don’t really want people in there until that’s addressed. There’s also a problem with the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. Expensive fixes, which is a big problem when the program isn’t currently staffed or funded beyond what we could direct from general use funds, which is the equivalent of one 10-hour-per-week position.” Regarding the dearth of volunteers, that has been an ongoing struggle for many organizations since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a story earlier this year on Fortune magazine’s website, “Volunteering has been declining for decades but the pandemic and economic struggles made it a lot worse.”Among the scheduled programs that have been canceled is CASTLE (Community After-School Tween/Teen) Leadership and Empowerment) program, which was launched on October 7, 2019, and normally serves approximately 60 to 70 children each year. However, a recent announcement from BVCA does offer some hope, “BVCA is currently reviewing options for space, programming, and staffing to possibly resume services in the coming year.”

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