Denied Town Funds, Teen Center in Talks to 'Work with' Unnamed Organization

Sangeeta Appel, board president of the Outback Teen Center, says she and other board members are talking with another, unnamed organization about ways it can work with Outback to “find financial stability and meet our mission,” she told the New Canaan Advertiser.

She wouldn’t name the organization or give further details, but said she hopes to conclude the talks within a month. The teen center, short of funds, is now operating with volunteers in place of staff and has been declining requests for use of the building because of the lack of personnel, according to the newspaper. ”Drop-in” hours for youths were cancelled last week.

In February, the board said it needed as much as $100,000 from the town to keep going; instead, town officials say they’re eliminating the $19,000 it has spent on the teen center from next fiscal year’s town budget, the report said. The Outback has an organization-owned building on town land. Appel said the Outback building may be shared so that it might also be used by young families.