PENN HILLS, Pa. — As the De’Avry A. Thomas Community Center celebrated its first anniversary earlier this month, State Rep. Joe McAndrew (D) and State Sen. Jay Costa (D) awarded the organization with a $1 million grant.
The critical funding will help further renovate the center.
“I was here when the YMCA shut down so for me the vision has been; how do we create a sustainable space where young people feel comfortable like the YMCA was?” said Kahlil Darden.
That question has fueled 23-year-old Kahlil Darden.
It’s one of the reasons he founded Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens, a non-profit aimed at curbing youth gun violence. It’s also the reason, he opened the community center last November, to give kids a safe space to be kids.
“Daycare in Penn Hills is easy, there are plenty of childcare centers, but to be able to offer parents a place where they can bring all of their kids no matter what their age is [huge], said Darden.
The building is named after his 18-month-old godson who was tragically killed in Downtown Pittsburgh in 2022.
“I honestly thought after losing De’Avery I would have given up, but honestly losing De’Avery gave me hope to change what it looked like being young Black in Pittsburgh,” he said.
Darden has already transformed the building into a community hub, providing families with child care, after-school care, and summer programming. Now he has secured $1 million in state funding after local lawmakers saw his program is working.
“So many residents had expressed to me time and time again that they wanted to see something like this in their community, so to be able to deliver money to help build it, it’s a great thing,” said State Representative Joe McAndrews.
Darden will use the money to give kids something they’ve been asking for: an overhaul of the gym. He hopes the center can host youth sports leagues and families can come and watch.
“One of their biggest things is the gym, they are also really excited about the art studios, the music studio spaces and the game rooms,” Darden said.
Darden said he hopes to have the renovation projects completed in time for their summer programming.
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