Belfast

The Game Loft in Belfast, a Community of Promise, represents a community business that grew into a center for meeting a variety of youth needs.

In 1996, Ray and Patricia Estabrook opened a small game store in Belfast. Shortly after their store opened, the Estabrooks found their shop bursting with youth of all ages who wanted to play or learn how to play non-electronic games. They tried to incorporate the game playing into the management of their store, but they eventually realized that their store could not be a business and a youth center at the same time. They saw a serious need for a place for youth of Belfast to go and decided to do something about it. Together with a group of youth and adults, they organized The Game Loft, which opened on February 1, 1998. Between 15 and 20 youth a day came to the Loft to play games, do their homework or participate in educational activities.

Under the Estabrooks’ leadership, The Game Loft is open 362 days a year and has gained tremendous moral and financial support within the community. Their tireless efforts on behalf of the Loft have inspired youth to give back to the Loft and the community.

The Game Loft became a Community of Promise in 1999 and the Communities for Children VISTA member has worked with them to build capacity. The Game Loft is currently working with the Maine Commission for Community Service to obtain an AmeriCorps member to provide daily programming and mentoring opportunities.

The service that a VISTA volunteer provides must be geared to developing the infrastructure or capacity of an organization, which includes grant writing but not direct service. AmeriCorps volunteers provide direct service as their primary role and also assist with program development, but they are not allowed to write grants.

Local newspapers and the radio station WERU-FM support their work and publicize events. A Community Learning Initiative provides year-round opportunities for youth and adults to gather as co-leaders for fun and educational events.

The Game Loft is currently inaugurating a Pathfinder Program that will include a series of job shadowing events, college visits, role-playing exercises and self-assessments that allow young adults to make appropriate post high school life choices. The Pathfinder program began in February 2000 when four Game Loft youth members participated in a Groundhog Day Job Shadowing Day with volunteer adults in the community.

The Game Loft will also begin teen programming on local public access television. The programs will be planned and run by local teens with the support of the staff of the local station.

This Partner Community collaborates with the Building Communities for Children (BCC) of Waldo County, the Waldo County C4C, which provides multiple resources for children.

The Game Loft provides caring adults, a safe place, marketable skills and an opportunity to give back to the community through service. The game loft has fulfilled all of the Five Promises for 20 young people and one or more for 70 youth: 70 young people have been provide a caring adult, 120 with safe places, 20 with a healthy start and future, 60 with marketable skills and 70 with opportunities to serve.

Contact Belfast C4C