ROANOKE, Va. – The newly renovated Norwich Recreation Center officially reopened this week, now serving as the dedicated hub for Roanoke’s Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Unit.
The project also included the remodeling of an adjacent Quonset hut, which will house the “Champions of Change Boxing” program. Both renovations were funded by a state grant from the Virginia Safer Communities Program, which supports holistic strategies aimed at addressing the root causes of community violence.
‘A Space for Healing’
During a tour of the recreation center Wednesday, city officials emphasized that the building’s design was intentional, meant to create a welcoming and secure environment for the city’s most at-risk youth.
Mayor Joe Cobb, who served as a council liaison to the prevention unit before being elected mayor, said the space is critical to the program’s success.
“It’s so important in this kind of work that you set the right tone, that you have the right environment for people to when they walk in, they can take a deep breath,” Cobb said. “Any trauma, any chaos that they may be living in their life, they can hopefully let that go when they’re here.”
A Data-Driven Pivot to Reach High-Risk Youth
The new center is central to a strategic shift the Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Unit made in late 2023. Chris Roberts, the unit’s outreach coordinator, explained that after a difficult summer, his team analyzed its data and found its presence at large community events was not reaching the individuals most likely to be involved in gun violence…