For years, the former dining hall at Pioneer Center – a residential treatment program for adolescent girls ages 10 to 18 in Orchard Hills – sat largely unused. Once the hub of shared meals, it became unnecessary after each house transitioned to family‑style dining. With the space sitting idle, staff began to imagine how it might be transformed into something that better served the girls who call Pioneer Center home. Thanks to philanthropic support, that vision is now taking shape.
The dining hall has been remodeled into the Empowerment Center, a flexible, welcoming space where girls can unwind, explore interests, and find moments of calm. The young women at Pioneer Center are working through significant trauma and developing skills that support emotional regulation, healthy relationships, and long‑term stability. The new center offers them a place to spend time outside their residential houses in ways that feel constructive, engaging, and supportive.
The renovation introduces soft lighting, refreshed paint, and clearly defined zones for a variety of activities — social, cognitive, and physical. The space now includes areas for arts and crafts, book clubs, journaling, reading, puzzles, yoga, exercise classes, and more. Each section is designed to reflect the girls’ interests and to help them build confidence, connection, and a sense of ownership.
“This space will give our young women room to participate, to explore, and to feel comfortable being themselves,” says Brigitt Barlow, M.S., Program Director of Pioneer Center. “We’ve also let them have a say in the Empowerment Center’s final layout and features, ensuring that this place of fun reflects what they want and need.”
What was once an unused room is becoming a meaningful part of daily life at Pioneer Center — a transformation made possible through the support of philanthropy.
