As a resident of Vermont’s most diverse and densely populated city, King McMillan saw a need for a community space early on.
According to state Agency of Education data, about 98% of Winooski students identify as coming from families with low income — one of the highest percentages in the state.
McMillan moved to Vermont about 20 years ago to run his own barbershop but once here he decided he also wanted to mentor. Mentorship programs kept him out of trouble while growing up in a low-income neighborhood in New York City, he recalled.
In 2009, McMillan started Vermont’s Fight for Kids Foundation with the goal of providing Vermont children with resources to maintain their physical and mental health. Since its inception, the organization has operated out of a gym on Union Street, teaching kids and young adults the fundamentals of boxing and leading a healthy lifestyle.
But McMillan said that space is not big enough and thus no longer suitable for his foundation’s mission and the community’s growing interest.
He plans to renovate the old Winooski Press building on Stevens Street, which will serve as the new youth center’s home, he said. It is only three blocks away from the Winooski Middle School, whereas the current gym is half a mile away. The foundation has already signed contracts to lease the building.
“It feels to me like (this youth center is) being built up from the ground up out of the community and with the youth involved,” Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott said in support of McMillan’s vision.
Those efforts, she said in an email, “could meet a real and significant need in the community.”
The new center, estimated to cost about $2 million and to be primarily funded by donations, would teach youth and young adults ages 9 to 21 about the importance of finding peace and contentment within, rather than from material things, according to McMillan. Adolescents would be able to train in boxing and other strength-building activities as well as spend time in meditation areas.
The fundraising efforts are in their early stages, McMillan said.
He envisions a place for kids to hang out and surround themselves with positive influences. Parents and guardians could also rely on the youth center to encourage and provide healthy food options, he said.
McMillan grew up during the ’80s in a Brooklyn housing project where his mother struggled with substance abuse and his family relied on government subsidies. Gang violence was prevalent and McMillan said he struggled to avoid a fate similar to that of his peers who ended up in prison or dead.
“It’s a situation where you become numb to it,” McMillan said. “Now I can see the difference, but when you’re in it, you’re in it. Around every corner there was always a possibility of violence.”
Salvation came when a mother at his church asked McMillan to be a “big brother” for her son, taking him to boxing classes, martial arts and other sporting events. The relationship benefited both the young boy and McMillan, who fell in love with boxing and mentoring.
McMillan credits various mentors for his current entrepreneurial mentality. “I feel grateful that I was able to navigate because of the mentors I had,” he said. They taught him that there are other ways to get money without being in the streets and dealing drugs. “There’s not a way around avoiding jail or death when you’re in the lifestyle.”
As a way to increase awareness for the prospective youth center and encourage volunteers, the organization is hosting a summer event series.
“Sweat, Flix & Chill” is a community engagement campaign — led by the Vermont Fight for Kids Foundation and sponsored by the state Department of Housing and Community Development’s Better Places program — that will span the course of six consecutive Fridays with a start date to be announced. The events will be open to all.
“We want people to come and participate in Sweat so we can show them how beneficial it can be to the community and how important it is for people to have space to gather without it being a negative experience,” said Gita Seaton, the foundation’s operations director. “We want more positive experiences for young people to join.”
Each Friday will kick off with a 45-minute “Box N’ Burn” led by McMillan focused on promoting fitness and mindfulness, followed by outdoor movie features with nutritious dinner options. Take-home gifts such as T-shirts and workout equipment will be offered to participants while supplies last.
The idea for “Sweat, Flix & Chill” grew organically from the needs of the future youth center. Both McMillan and Seaton were considering ways to bring attention to the youth center, drum up interest from the adolescents in the community and inspire volunteers to help bring the center to life. They are seeking volunteers to contribute time or money to renovate the Winooski Press building.
The “Sweat, Flix & Chill” campaign has raised $3,654 of its $5,000 goal. If the campaign reaches its goal, the state housing department will donate an additional $10,000 to help mitigate the financial needs of the event. These funds are separate from the money needed to build the youth center.
“We want to create something scaleable that can be taken to other places,” McMillan said.
