Page 2 - Dresden Buzz 09/19/2025

PAGE 2 | LOCAL NEWS SEPTEMBER 19 - OCTOBER 2, 2025

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Muskingum County Children Services and

Avondale Youth Center Levy

if at all possible. They may have a thera- because they’ve got extra money. It’s
NEXT DEADLINE pist they work with in town already, they because the community does care and
have local supports and family that can supports them.”
Monday, September 29 visit them, that they can have a job in the “It is important to have a home-like at-
community. Oftentimes, when counties mosphere where the kids feel welcome,
NEXT ISSUE don’t have their own facility, that means families that are visiting feel welcome,
Friday, October 3 that they’re sending them very far away. and feel accepted, King explained. “One
Sometimes two, three hours, or even of the other things that we do, every
PICKUP LOCATIONS more, to live. So that makes it much Wednesday we have a, it’s a family day.
more difficult to do those kind of things. Now, we can arrange visits pretty much
DRESDEN: Bonnie Longaberger Senior Center, Caregivers can’t any time, but on
Scotties Den, Circle K, Thirsty Dawg, The Gary King, Director, at Avondale Youth
Warehouse Restaurant, Dresden Branch Library, Center pictured standing at the center’s visit, so the par- Wedne sdays,
Creno’s Pizza, Beauty By Design, Dresden Buzz, ents can’t visit “We want to help them build we invite the
Main Street Pizzeria, The Mill, Agin Hardware, entrance. Lynette Dotson families of the
Certified, Subway, Shrivers Pharmacy, Humble us often, maybe trusting relationships with adults,
Heart, Smore Baskets well as drug-exposed newborns, have in- once a month residents here
creased since the last time the levy was if they’re lucky. with our staff, and show that adults to come out.
FRAZEYSBURG: New Beginnings Drive Thru, They can have
Dairy Queen, Frazeysburg Village Office, on the ballot. MCACPS also strengthens That makes it
Subway, Duchess Gas Station, Fallsburg Pizza and supports families by partnering with harder for the can be trusted and that they can dinner with us.
drug, alcohol, and mental health orga- caseworker to They have fam-
NASHPORT: Crenos Pizza be respected as people, that the
nizations. If a child is removed from a do their work. So ily counseling
ZANESVILLE: Kroger, The Muskingum County dangerous situation and placement is what it means is, sessions. It’s an
YMCA, John McIntire Library, Muskingum County needed, family/kin are considered first, we as a county children are worthy of respect and opportunity to
Center for Seniors, Mass Media Comics,
Denny’s Classic Diner, Fieldhouse Family Sports with 90% being placed in Muskingum are taking re- that they are of value and they’re kind of interact
and Wellness Center, Donald’s Donuts, County. Placement is not cheap; costs sponsibility for with the staff
The Zanesville-Muskingum County Conference have doubled since 2019. our kids, and important to our community.” and spend some
& Welcome Center, The Elk’s Eye Art Market,
Walgreens (Military Rd.), The Carr Center, Over 3,800 children are served each we’re keeping good quality
Sunrise Bowling Center, Colony Square Mall, year by MCACPS, representing 1 in 5 them successful, - Gary King, Director for Avondale Youth Center time with their
Chatty Cat Cafe, A Taste Of Ohio Wine children in Muskingum County! Current- children here.”
Bourbon & Beer, Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl, we’re keeping
Starbucks (Zane St.), Riesbeck’s Food Markets ly, 700 children and over 400 families in them connected locally, which means “We have a regular activity schedule
kinship programs are being helped right they’re more likely to be successful.” that we do with the kids where we go
SOUTH ZANESVILLE: South Branch Library, now by MCACPS. Additionally, over 200 Avondale Youth Center is the only bowling, go to the movies. We also have
Darrell’s Donuts, Central Pike Coffee Co.,
Riesbeck’s Food Markets of the county’s elderly citizens are being Muskingum County-operated children’s therapeutic activities that take place
served and protected each year. home. It serves both boys and girls ages here. So we have a therapist on site, and
AVONDALE: Tina’s Diner
Approximately 40% of the Children 10-18. It is a residential therapeutic cen- she does counseling with each of the
WEST PIKE: Litten Home Hardware, Services budget is sustained by funding ter with a twenty-two-bed capacity. It is kids. We do group counseling as well.
West Side Market
from the approved local levy. All other operated by the Muskingum County Chil- And then, we have different recreational
NEW CONCORD: Scott’s Diner, Wally’s Pizza, support comes from the State of Ohio, dren Services Board, Nationally Accred- things here that they can do. So, yeah,
New Concord Branch Library, Creno’s Pizza, Federal Programs and Grants.
Oscar’s Place, Riesbeck’s Food Markets ited by The Council on Accreditation, and we try to keep them involved. We stay,
MCACPS not only works to protect chil- licensed by the Ohio Department of Job we get passes to the local swimming
DUNCAN FALLS: Duncan Falls/Philo Branch dren in the county, but also our elderly, and Family Services as a Qualified Resi- pools and things. We’re always looking
Library
keeping them safe through the Adult dential Treatment Center (PRTF). for new ideas and different ways, differ-
ROSEVILLE: Roseville Branch Library, Protective Services Program. “These kids come in here and they ent recreational things to do,” King said.
Higgins Lumber, Midtown Bar and Grill, Also impacted by the levy is the Avon-
Old Town Pizza don’t trust adults oftentimes, they don’t Several outings are planned each year
dale Youth Center, which the MCACPS trust anybody. They may have had to that are all funded by donations.
Bold type indicates a location with an has supported and administered the op- steal for food as a very young child to “We really have a kind of honor and
outdoor newspaper box.
erations of since 1911. help feed their siblings, that type of responsibility of having an influence and
“We’re a community agency. We’re thing. So, we want to help them build impact on them at a time of life that
supported by the community, so it’s re- trusting relationships with adults, with they won’t get back. So, we want to cre-
ally important that we get that support our staff, and show that adults can be ate some good memories for them. So,
and that funding,” stated Director of trusted and that they can be respected we also do things like we have taken
Avondale Youth Center, Gary King. “By as people, that the children are worthy them, like, ziplining at the Wilds, we go
passing the levy as the community has of respect and that they are of value and to Kings Island or Cedar Point every year,
always supported it, we are able to con- they’re important to our community,” we’ve taken the kids on a chartered fish-
tinue to really provide those local servic- King explained. “And we want to be good ing trip at Lake Erie before. We want to
es, keep the kids local, take care of the mentors to them and just kind of help do some things that people would want
kids in our community, and do a good them learn to build healthy relationships to do for their own kids.”
job of that, really take responsibility for and put them in a position where they While at the center, the older kids are
our kids.” can move on and then do that in a home taught independent living and life skills
or, you know, eventually with their own so they are better prepared for adult-
family, that sort of thing. So, you know, hood, like how to budget, how to cook,
A Closer Look At Avondale we do that by being here for them.” etc. Typically, youth living at the center
Youth Center In addition to making sure the children stay for about four to six months on av-
get the guidance and support they need, erage, with the goal being to get them
residents of Avondale Youth Center have placed in a long-term living situation
“We’re county-operated,” explained access to a variety of recreational and within a year or less. During that time,
King. “Over time, a lot of counties have fun activities to help build positive mem- the agency works to find a family mem-
closed those and they’ve come to regret ories while at the center. A game room ber or a kinship provider that they can
that decision because when you close with arcade games, a ping pong table, live with. Then, the process of transition-
your facility, that means that you have air hockey, etc., are available, as well as ing that child into their new home be-
to go to a private facility for services. outdoor rec spaces including basketball gins.
And that also means you’re sending courts, a volleyball court, garden space, “We help work with the agency case-
kids out of the community. So, you lose a fire pit, a pavilion with a grill for gather- worker, get them set up in some kind of
control over the case, it becomes more ings, and so on. long-term living situation for when they
difficult to reunify. Because ultimately, “All this stuff has kind of built up over leave. ... Then once they discharge, we
what we want to do is we’re taking kids time,” said King. “We’ve had people who do six months of aftercare. No matter
from an unsafe environment, we’re tak- have been supportive, nice donations what their age is, we keep in contact
ing them here. We want to help them that have kind of helped us to add on with them for six months. If they have
work through their trauma, help stabi- and be able to do these things. So it re- any help that they need, you know, we
lize them, and get placed into a perma- ally speaks a lot to the community and can help them problem solve, we can
nent home again. So if you can do that shows that the community does care provide services, we can help them find
in your own community, that means that about these kids and recognizes that funding for things ... So, that care is pro-
you’re disrupting their lives less, they they need something that they don’t vided after discharge, so that’s a really
can hopefully continue to go to their own have and that they need the commu- important piece,” said King.
school. So if they’re a Zanesville kid, we nity’s help. So that’s really been pretty For more information about Avondale
can keep them in Zanesville. If they’re heartwarming over the years ... that Youth Center, or MCACPS visit
Tri-Valley, we can keep them in Tri-Valley, it’s not just people handing out money muskingumkids.org.
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