Maria DeForrest
Teen Warehouse generated excitement from the moment it was announced in October 2018. When it opens in January 2020, it will be a comprehensive after-school academics and athletics program for teens who live in Wilmington, especially Riverside, one of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.
That attracted financial investments and professional support from ChristianaCare, Delaware State University, the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation’s Reinventing Delaware program and a host of others. “The demand for quality programming is undeniable,” explains Phillips, a member of the Teen Warehouse dream team assembled by its chief visionary Logan Herring, CEO of The Warehouse, REACH Riverside and Kingswood Community Center.
“We believe that teens will seize opportunities to improve their lives—and we intend to provide that,” Phillips states. “This is a ‘for teens, by teens’ culture where they tell us what programs they want and we make it happen.” Phillips and her colleagues have 130 partners pledged to provide programs about financial literacy, college counseling, reproductive health, mental health and more. Teen Warehouse will have a fitness center, theater and dance studio, and Phillips says she plans to enroll 500 to 700 teens in 2020 and grow it from there.
