Neblett Center Director invites community involvement

November 18, 2021 | 12:07 am

Updated November 18, 2021 | 7:27 am

Keith Cottoner, the new H.L. Neblett Community Center Executive Director, said community involvement and engagement is a large factor of the organization that he is instilling under his leadership.

Cottoner, from Hopkins County, recalled the importance of a community that helped raise him as a child. Numerous times, he and his sister received help and support from people coming to ensure they were taken care of.

“The community came together to make sure my sister and I had want we needed to get by,” he said.

After Cottoner graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 2006, he went on to hold several different positions at Louisville YMCA.

There, he was able to practice the effort of community support at a wider level. He said that Owensboro and Louisville, while having a widely different population, differ in funding for one thing: child care.

“In Louisville they put a big funding emphasis on child care. Each of the YMCAs … provided after-school child care,” Cottoner said.

With this knowledge, Cottoner wants to establish the Neblett Center as a community center hub with a hope to grow the enrollment.

Currently, the Center hosts about 90 students, and for some age groups they are at max capacity. He said that as child care typically needs individual attention, the Center tries to match the number of teachers to what can best fit them through all their services.

Along with child care, the Neblett Center provides students with tutoring services, recreation programs, provide food and have older adult programs.

Cottoner has been in his position for three months. During his time, he has already seen an improvement in enrollment by 20 students.

With that, he believes he will be able to boost the enrollment even further.

One way he hopes to get the community involved is in different events they host, but also through Giving Tuesday. This year he invites people to give in numerous ways, from spending time as a teacher at the Center, to volunteering to read to some of the children, and even giving money to the Center.

“If you want to donate your time, I invite everyone to come to hang out with the kids,” Cottoner said.  “They will ask you any questions about what you do, and where you work.”

November 18, 2021 | 12:07 am

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