Thanks to a grant from the Rotary Club of Elizabethtown, Cornerstone Youth Center is getting a facelift. Work has been underway for several weeks at the organization, located at 95 S. Wilson Ave., Elizabethtown.

One of the projects has been moving the entrance to bring students into a bigger, more welcoming space, said Jim Bush, executive director. Renovations will include painting the foyer, installing cubbies and coat hooks where students may put their belongings and setting up a check-in and checkout station. Painting is being completed by various community groups, including volunteers from Victory Church and from the Rotary Club.

"We have a lot more room when the kids come in this way," Bush said. "It won't be as congested as they check in, and they have a big space to just hang out until our programs start."

The Rotary Club granted $5,000 to Cornerstone, with funds also set to cover the cost of renovations to the existing cafe on-site. Cornerstone held a series of focus groups as part of its five-year strategic plan, asking parents, volunteers, community members and students what they'd like to see from the organization.

"We spoke to students who attend Cornerstone regularly, and we also talked to those who don't attend," Bush said. "We asked them, 'What is something we could do to make Cornerstone more appealing to you?' One of the things that kept coming up, especially among the girls, was a coffeehouse."

Cornerstone currently serves food every day it's open, including snacks, drinks and dinner, but Bush was inspired to transform the space next to the cafe into a coffeehouse. Three booths will be installed along the windows, with an additional large corner booth. Seating in the area will be replaced, surrounding a coffee table, and the room will be painted.

"We want this to be a space where kids can come in, talk, play games and have conversations, either amongst themselves or with our volunteers," Bush noted, adding that the coffeehouse will offer a quieter alternative to the building's game room, basketball court and skatepark.

Cornerstone currently provides after-school programming from 3 to 6 p.m. for middle-school students on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as for high-school students on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday evening programming is also offered to high-school students from 7 to 10 p.m.

"We always need volunteers, especially on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," Bush said. "We need people to interact with the kids, help them with homework, play games with them." Volunteers are also needed to drive the organization's vans, picking up students at Park Street Chapel and The Kelly School from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

As a nonprofit, Cornerstone relies on donations from the community and organizations like the Rotary Club to offer its programming. It will hold a car wash and bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, at the Alliance Church, 425 Cloverleaf Road, Elizabethtown. The organization will also host its annual dunk tank fundraiser at the Elizabethtown Fair from Monday, Aug. 21, through Saturday, Aug. 26.

For more information on Cornerstone Youth Center, visit https://cornerstoneetown.org or search for the organization on Facebook.