Youth Ministries Convent Conversion

Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice was founded in 1994, after drug dealers' attempt to burn down a local parish inspired neighborhood youth to organize themselves in protest. As the first neighborhood youth center in the Soundview/Bruckner and Bronx River neighborhoods of the South Bronx, which suffer disproportionately from poverty, pollution, and violence, YMPJ works to rebuild these communities by preparing young people to become prophetic voices for peace and justice.

YMPJ has won remarkable successes in its short lifetime, connecting residents to the area's neglected section of the Bronx River, transforming industrial areas into parkland, and working to transform the underutilized Sheridan Expressway into riverfront open space and affordable housing.

As YMPJ grows, however, its current office space gets tighter and tighter. Its 23 staff members occupy a small building that was originally built as a private home. They run programs, counsel members, organize the community, educate and inspire young people, and work with thousands of community residents, in a space more suitable for a family of four.

To accommodate YMPJ's growth and help provide space for its leadership training, community organizing and environmental awareness activities with young people and adults, the Pratt Center is collaborating with YMPJ to help the organization purchase and adapt a 10,000-square foot former convent and turn it into space for an office and programs.

The Pratt Center is participating in negotiations to acquire the site, advising YMPJ on the use of a city grant for the project, and serving as the architect of record in this conversion.