Youth Center Opens in Jamaica Plain
Youth Enrichment Services unveiled its new Richard Williams Youth Development Center at 267 Amory Street.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
Youth Enrichment Services opened the Richard Williams Youth Development Center at 267 Amory Street in Jamaica Plain during a grand opening on October 29. The nonprofit's new three-story, 16,000-square-foot facility is named for its founder.
Why it matters
The center expands capacity for a nonprofit that already serves more than 1,600 children and teens annually, primarily from Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain. For Boston families in these neighborhoods, the facility adds a dedicated space for youth programming.
The $16 million project, including a $1.5 million Yawkey Foundation naming grant, reached its fundraising goal in the Capital Campaign. Projections call for 500 additional youth served in three years and 700 more within five years, though the source does not detail how these targets will be tracked.
The players
Youth Enrichment Services
A Boston nonprofit that has served youth from Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain for decades, including nearly 60 years of skiing programming.
Yawkey Foundation
A philanthropic organization with a partnership with Youth Enrichment Services spanning more than two decades, which awarded the $1.5 million grant to name the facility.
The details
The three-story facility includes a rock climbing wall, a ski shop, classroom and learning spaces, and a multipurpose community room. Timberline Construction built the project from a design by Embarc, and the Capital Campaign drew on philanthropic and public partners, proceeds from the sale of the former South End headquarters, and donors including Phill and Liz Gross and Brian Lash and Family.
Timeline
October 29, 2026: Grand opening of the Richard Williams Youth Development Center.
November 5, 12 and 19, and December 3 and 10, 2026: Open Houses from 5-7 p.m.
Philanthropy Landscape
The project reflects a model in which a named-facility grant from a long-term funder, here the Yawkey Foundation, anchors a capital campaign alongside individual major gifts and proceeds from a prior property sale. The source does not compare this funding model to other Boston youth facility projects.
Families in Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain can access expanded youth programming, including climbing, skiing-related activities and classroom learning, at the new Amory Street center. Interested residents can attend an Open House to see the facility before enrolling.
The takeaway
Dedicated facilities can let established youth nonprofits grow their reach, with the new center projected to serve hundreds more Boston young people over the next several years. Residents interested in youth programming can attend an upcoming Open House to learn what is offered.
What happens next
Open Houses will be held at the center on November 5, 12 and 19, and December 3 and 10, 2026, from 5-7 p.m.
Further reading
Explore more Boston Philanthropy coverage to see how local capital campaigns are funded.
More information
Learn more about programs and enrollment on the Youth Enrichment Services program information page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Jamaicaplaingazette.
