The event came months later than planned, thanks to a weather-related delay, but a big crowd still turned out for a ribbon cutting Monday afternoon to celebrate improvements to the Bryan Street Challenge House that is home to Men2Be’s mentoring program for boys.
The event created a rare sight in the old residential neighborhood — cars lining both sides of the street and a rolling traffic jam as drivers maneuvered for any spare place they could find to park.
The crowd came to dedicate the project sponsored by Leadership Hopkinsville-Christian County’s Class of 2022-23.
Anna Goode, a teaching interventionist at South Christian Elementary School, represented her leadership class and explained the project.
With financial support from Hopkinsville Rotary, Stanley Black and Decker, Farm Credit, Planters Bank, Oak Grove Racing and Gaming, and others, the leadership group made numerous improvements to the house.
“Our class is really passionate about doing something that is going to make a difference in somebody’s life,” Goode said.
The work was delayed several weeks because of damage to the roof in a March storm. But after the roof was repaired, the leadership class got back to their project.
They removed a large tree at the front of the house and replaced the landscaping, said Goode. They also replaced carpeting, painted two rooms, built shelves in a closet, added two new picnic tables to the lawn and installed new blinds and curtains. They also stocked cabinets with snacks.
A new education room has four new laptop computers and a large electronic board. Another space called a reward room has video games and a Pac-Man machine.
Men2Be provides mentoring for local boys ages 8 to 18. The organization is run entirely by volunteers.
“This is an organization that is trying to get off the ground,” Goode said. “I think it has an awesome purpose of serving our community. Lots of boys need that father figure that they night not have in their family.”
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
