The Vineyard Community Activity Center, 99 Sherman St., Muncy, is back in the swing of things.

“For quite some time since the COVID epidemic in 2020 the return of the youth to the Friday Youth Activity Nights was disturbingly low,” a news release from the activity center said. “The Vineyard staff, however, had been there nearly every Friday Night to welcome the local and surrounding community youth.”

The activity center had applied to the Margaret Waldron Memorial Fund administered by First Community Foundation Partnership (FCFP) to purchase PS5 and or Xbox consoles, controllers, games, new gaming television and additional funds to improve and purchase new equipment. In January of this year there started to be more youth, 30 plus, participating in Friday Nights. Months prior to that there were several parties booked on weekends. The activity center is also a perfect venue for parties and family gatherings.

In addition to these proposed improvements, the age for participants for Friday Youth Activity Nights was lowered to age 11 instead of 12.

“This was an effort to improve the participation of the Friday Activity Nights,” the news release said.

In June the activity center purchased the PS5 and Xbox games and set up a secure, comfortable room the gaming. One of the slate pool tables has been repaired and recovered and the other pool table will be recovered in the next week or so.

Summer months usually bring lower participation on Friday nights because of family vacations and events. Football season also brings lower participation, especially during home games.

“The staff allows youth to come to the Vineyard and then go to the game and then allow them to return to the activity center if they chose if it gets too cold or rainy,” the news release said. “The general rule is if a youth decides to leave during an activity night, they may not return that night (not even for their ride home). This is the only exception concerning home games. This is a privilege as long as the youth don’t abuse it. That’s how it goes with the Vineyard events. These opportunities exist as long as it works, but if it does not work, it won’t happen again.”

One of the other opportunities the activity center offers are Lock-Ins. There was a Lock-in on May 31 to June 1 so the new kids could experience what lock-ins is like. In the past there were usually a couple lock-ins per year, usually in November and May. The next lock-in is scheduled Nov. 17 and 18 following the Friday Youth Activity Night beginning 10:30 p.m. until 8 a.m. Saturday morning. The earliest departure is 7 a.m.

The newer youth have been enjoying the activities at the Vineyard, according to the news release. Besides the lock-in they had a “splash party,” play ultimate Frisbee, Nerf gun battles last Friday of Spring and Summer months, playing basketball, two air hockey tables, playing billiards, board and card games, Pictionary and more.

The Vineyard Community Activity Center is mostly dependant on community support — financially and in other ways. Many local businesses, churches, and organizations have contributed funds. In the past few years the YMCA ‘before and after school’ childcare program used the activity center, but returned to the elementary school. Their use of the facility helped provide additional income to support the operating expense of the activity center. All the insurances come due June 25 and the operating bank account was running short so the treasurer had to contact the Muncy First United Methodist Church for early distribution of budgeted allowance that the center usually collects in November and December for winter operating expenses. Now the center needs to solicit for more community support to carry through the winter and start saving for 2024 insurance payments.

Volunteers are needed to help supervise Friday Youth Activity Nights. Vineyard is looking for additional caring adults to supervise and interact with the youth. Caring adults that like to spend time with young people, playing games with them and reminding them of the Vineyard Rules which are mostly common respect of staff, others and themselves safety and facilities. Some volunteers arrive early around 5 p.m, to set up for events.

According to the news release, some of the staff have been serving the Vineyard for more than 25 years and others for several years.

Anyone interested in volunteering please call 570-546-0633 and leave a message on the answering machine giving name, date and time of call and a phone number to call. Someone will return your call.

Especially these winter months the Vineyard Community Activity Center needs more volunteers.

“A couple of volunteer couples are retired and like to winter in Florida,” the news release said. “They worked many years to get to this stage of their lives, but the Vineyard is a great passion that they would not want to be responsible for causing there to be closings due to lack of staffing.”

So please consider volunteering, if not weekly, consider biweekly or whenever needed.

Whenever contacting the Vineyard call 570-546-0633 or by mail, use P O Box 291, Muncy, PA 17756 as there is no delivery to the building.