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It opened originally as a child care center, but the small gray building next to the freeway in Stacy has now evolved to better fit the needs of the local community.

Family Pathways runs the Stacy Enrichment Center at 5505 Stacy Trail, on the west side of I-35 next to Sunrise Market. Before January 2006, the building had been used by the North Branch School District for early childhood programs and then by Family Pathways as a child care center.

When it was realized that the child care center wasn’t a feasible option for using the building, Family Pathways looked at fulfilling other community needs.

While it was being used as a child care facility, the building also contained a small computer lab.

When Family Pathways closed the child care center, officials decided to open the computer lab for pre-teens and teens to use and services available to this age group were expanded.

Earlier this year, the Stacy Enrichment Center officially opened with a computer lab, activity room and library. The center is open seven days a week: 3 to 8 p.m. weekdays and noon to 8 p.m. weekends.

Youth Service Coordinator for Family Pathways Liz Esther said the expansion was a logical step, when they saw the overwhelming response to use the computer lab.

When the center first opened its computer lab, kids were mostly coming in to play games. “Now, 70 percent coming in during the week are coming for homework help,” Esther said. “Many of them understand that we’re here to help.”

The computer lab currently houses six computers, but Esther hopes they will be able to add nine more computers by the end of the year.

The activity room at the center has a pool table, foosball, ping pong and board games for the kids to use.

Family Pathways partners with the East Central Regional Library system to provide 50 books on a regular basis for the center’s library. Books are rotated out and new ones brought to the center every two months from the ECRL system. The center also has its own collection of literature, housed in a library featuring comfortable chairs for a relaxing place to simply sit and read.

Esther said around 12 to 18 kids visit the center each weekday, with over 30 coming through the doors each Saturday and Sunday. When kids are off of school, those numbers grow, as does their desire to have someplace to go.

She said there are many times when teens will come to the center an hour or more before it opens. “If we’re here, we let them in,” Esther said.

Family Pathways is also planning additional summer programs for the center. A series of summer camps is scheduled to start during the second week after school is out.

The summer camps will feature specific class offerings for two age groups: 8 to 10 and 11 to 15. For the 8 to 10-year-olds, classes could include activities such as baton, badminton, chess and reading, while offerings for the older kids will include cooking, babysitting training and sports.

Esther said Family Pathways also hopes to utilize a vacant lot adjacent to the center this summer by planting a vegetable garden. Center users – and hopefully their parents, Esther adds – would be responsible for tending the garden. The goal is to sell the vegetables at their own farmer’s market, Esther said.

She said the center been a great place for kids to find something productive to do with their time.

“If you literally have nothing to do, you’ll create excitement,” she said. “Hopefully this helps them create excitement in a positive way.”

This Saturday, April 8, from 1 to 4 p.m., Family Pathways is hosting an open house at the center. Stacy and neighboring residents are welcome to stop in and see what the center is all about.

Because the center is open free of charge, Family Pathways welcomes donations. Used items, in good shape, that are in need at the center are game tables, a television, a DVD player, card table and bean bag chairs. Donations can be dropped off at the Wyoming or Forest Lake Family Pathways.

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