Staff writer
Friday will mark the beginning of a new decade of service to Peabody young people when the HUB is host to grand re-opening from 3:30 to 7 p.m., to which everyone is invited.
“As with any business, we are proud to reach our 10th anniversary,” founder Doe Ann Hague said. “We’ve had our share of rough spots, but the community has remained supportive and we have had a good core group of loyal volunteers who are always there when we need them.”
New HUB director Nathan Fort will be present at the open house to meet the community. Fort is a junior at Bethel College in Newton. He is 22, on the basketball team, and is a special education major, originally from Cedar Ville, Arkansas.
“An advertisement for the director’s position showed up in a Bethel College email,” Fort said. “I didn’t see it, but several people told me they thought it would be a good position for me, so I called Doe Ann and got an interview.”
In addition to college and basketball, Fort has been working with young people at Harvey County Recreation Center.
“I thought the job at the HUB would fit with the work I did at the rec center and with my class work at Bethel,” he said. “After the interview, I was excited by the potential and challenges. However, I was also a little nervous. I prayed about it and I truly feel like this was meant to be.”
Fort says he has support from Bethel’s education department and wants to work with Peabody churches and schools, building a mutual commitment between them and the HUB.
“I think the first order of business is to get the kids’ input about what they want from the HUB and build on that,” he said. “I am a big believer in reaching out to others for help and input, using positive direction.”
Plans are in the works to open the lines of communication with social media. Technology and games will be upgraded and new activities introduced.
“Computers and Wi-Fi will still be available so students can work on homework and school projects,” he said. “The HUB will be open from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. We will be closed Sunday and Monday.”
The community — and especially young people — are encouraged to stop by the HUB on Friday to meet Fort, have some refreshments, tour the facility, and see what is available.