Benton House Community Center is one of three partner charities that benefit from One For The Kids fundraising efforts. This is first in an ongoing series of articles highlighting the good works of our partners.
Benton House is a historical community center in the South side neighborhood of Bridgeport. Its doors have been open to the community for over 100 years, always serving children from the very beginning. The neighborhoods working class demographic has lead to an ever-changing landscape of needs. Benton House has always taken on the challenges and evolves with the community.
Benton House boasts a food pantry that serves over 1,000 families in Bridgeport, which is close to 1/3 of all families in the neighborhood. They also have several after school programs run by outside groups and Benton House staff. Youth Technology Coor has their main office in Benton House and teaches amazing computer classes for children and teenagers. Sound Alternative another non-profit organization teaching children to use all equipment needed in music production. Right now Sound Alternative is building a recording studio on site, where classes will learn to produce records and earn income from studio rentals.
In recent news the Benton House Community Garden has gotten the permission of the Alderman to expand to various city owned empty lots in the neighborhood. This will lead to the addition of more fresh produce in the food pantry and sustainable living choices for the neighborhood. Just this past month the Benton House Gym hosted its annual Halloween Carnival with benefit concerts, traditional carnival games, costume exchange, face painting, and tick or treating for all ages. Private ghost tours were also given to large group by Benton House’s token story teller, Director Mark Lennon. All proceeds have gone to expanding the after school programming as well as updating the computer lab.
Thanks to the generous denotations from One For the Kids and charities like it, Benton House will stay open for many years to come. Always reaching out to help those who cannot help themselves.