With a few prayerful words and the snip of a blue fabric ribbon, a new steward took charge of 794 East State Street, Trenton. The two-story brick CYO East State Street Center, now under the auspices of the Mercer County CYO, held its open house celebration Sept. 15 for the residents and visitors to the capital city’s Wilbur section.

CYO executive director Thomas G. Mladenetz recognized the efforts of Father Brian McCormick, the priest who gave more than four decades of service to the Martin House Foundation, former owner of the building once named the Martin House Learning Center. This summer, the organization’s board of trustees decided to focus efforts on their affordable housing programs, and oversight of the learning center and other children’s services was assumed by the CYO of Mercer County effective Aug. 27.

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“It’s a match made in heaven. This is our area of expertise,” declared Mladenetz as he enumerated the activities to take place within the CYO East State Street Center. In addition to continuing the pre-school programs for three- and four-year-olds, and after-school programs for children ages five to 12, the center will offer CYO-focused Boy and Girl Scout programs and athletic leagues. An English as a Second Language class will be held three mornings each week especially geared towards the area’s large Haitian population; child care will be offered for the attendees.

Daughter of Charity Sister Joanne Dress, executive director of Catholic social services, opened the ceremony with a prayer of thanks. The late summer day’s warm sunshine was reflected on the faces of the nearly 150 attendees as they enjoyed the numerous activities held to welcome the center. As a deejay spun tunes outside, children took flight in the moon bounce house, lined up for face painting and balloon animals, or took their turns in a portable video arcade system.

“It was a great building that just needed a little TLC,” said Mladenetz of the former Martin House building. “[The open house] was a nice time to reconnect with the people who attended the former Martin House, as well as the new people who came out to see what this was all about.” In addition to Sister Joanne and Mladenetz, CYO Board members Donna Davidson, Tom Griffith and Katherine Soss Prihoda were present for the center’s introduction to its clients.

Mladenetz noted the center has employed many familiar faces. “We are fully staffed with people who have either just recently worked at the Martin House or have returned,” he noted, including office manager Michele Jones, pre-school director Debora Grier and program director Robert Donaldson. “It’s a new day. I am delighted the CYO could carry on this work.”