Fifty years ago, the Huntington Youth Bureau and its related agencies and programs got their start. Suffolk County legislators recently recognized the Youth Bureau with a proclamation honoring the agency.
Legislators Susan A. Berland (D-Dix Hills), Tom Donnelly (D-South Huntington) and William R. Spencer (D-Centerport) joined together to present a proclamation to the Huntington Youth Bureau.
“I want to congratulate the Huntington Youth Bureau for 50 years of service to the Town of Huntington,” said Berland, a former Huntington Town Board member. “As the ‘MC’ for the Huntington Youth Writes competition for 16 years, I saw firsthand the benefits that the program has had on Huntington’s youth and this is only one of many excellent programs provided by the Huntington Youth Bureau.”
The Youth Bureau’s primary goals are to create, promote and implement youth development programs and services and meet the needs of Huntington’s youth and their families.
“The bureau has taken on and mastered a wide range of tasks, from drug and alcohol education, to youth development, GED and college preparation, Youth Court and more, benefiting those most in need of assistance,” Legislator Donnelly said. “I want to commend the Huntington Youth Bureau for its 50 years of service to the residents of Huntington.”
Its programs concentrate on issues and problems that challenge youthful residents: drugs and alcohol, juvenile delinquency, runaways and homelessness and secondary school dropouts. They’re designed to build educational and work skills, strengthen families and develop the sense of pride and self-worth that young people need to thrive. Huntington was the first town in New York state to form a Youth Bureau as an agency of the local municipal government.
“Congratulations to the Huntington’s Youth Bureau for 50 years of devotion to the needs of our young people. Their wide range of programs and services have helped develop and improve countless lives and has brought tremendous value to the community,” said Legislator Spencer.
On Sept. 24, the town celebrated the bureau’s 50th anniversary with a plaque dedication and tree-planting ceremony.
