Impact Center Spaces Will Help Community Come Together And Flourish

Reading your May 7 story "Leisure Time Activity Center Makes Way for Impact Center" encouraged me to share my excitement for the future. In that story, I saw comments like "a more inclusive future" and "promoting community well-being;" those comments reminded me of why I came to Utica.

For people in the community who do not know me, I am a refugee from Sierra Leone. I moved to Utica more than 20 years ago. I moved away, then came back to settle here.

This area is my home.

I am a mother, a nurse and the founder and president of Utica Royalties. We are a community program that offers youth a chance to express themselves through singing, dancing, drumming, art, creative writing and more. I hope you have seen one of our performances.

Our program started in 2021 with a handful of kids who needed an outlet. Three years later, it is 10 times the size! Most of our kids, or their parents, are refugees like I once was. 

Utica gave me an opportunity. Utica Royalties is doing the same, giving opportunities for these kids. 

The West Street Impact Center is the kind of space where programs like ours will grow. It's the kind of space that can help this community come together and flourish.

We named our program Utica Royalties because we teach our kids to walk like they have a crown on their head, to carry themselves with pride and unlock their full potential. 

The Impact Center will be their palace. 

~Mawaha Peters, Utica