Today, the Housing Authority of the City of Erie was proud to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new Dafmark Youth Wellness Center at John E. Horan Garden Apartments.
This exciting milestone is about much more than opening a renovated space. It is about investing in our children, listening to their voices, and creating more opportunities for them to learn, grow, build confidence, and thrive.
The Housing Authority of the City of Erie serves more than 3,300 households and 8,000 residents through public housing, affordable housing units, and Housing Choice Voucher programs. Within our public housing communities alone, nearly 1,700 children call HACE home. Those children deserve safe, welcoming spaces where they can explore their interests, develop healthy habits, discover new talents, and see new possibilities for their future.
The Dafmark Youth Wellness Center was inspired by the young people themselves. Children living at John E. Horan Garden Apartments shared what they wanted to learn and experience — including cooking classes, martial arts, dance, soccer, fitness, and other activities that support wellness, creativity, and personal growth.
We listened.
Today, we are proud to open a center designed around those interests and aspirations. The renovated space includes a commercial kitchen for hands-on cooking classes and a gymnasium with a beautiful new floor and a vibrant mural created by local artist Nicholas Cardell Gore, who has deep connections to this neighborhood.
This project reflects the power of partnership, persistence, and community support. We are especially grateful to Jennifer Dennehy and the entire Dafmark team for their continued dedication to the children and families in our neighborhoods. Jennifer’s passion and determination have helped Dafmark grow from an art club into a meaningful youth program that continues to expand opportunities for young people.
We also extend our sincere thanks to the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority and the Erie Community Foundation for their generous support. Their investment helped turn this vision into reality, and we are grateful to Perry Wood, Executive Director of ECGRA, and Karen Bilowith, Executive Director of the Erie Community Foundation, for joining us to celebrate this important day.
We also want to recognize the many Housing Authority team members who helped make this center possible, including Dan Potalivo, Steve Bernhardt, Cherie Kinem, Renee Lamis, Iluminada Palermo, Laurie Rocco, and our Board of Commissioners. From securing funding and coordinating purchases to managing renovations and transforming the space, this project was truly a team effort.
Most importantly, we thank the young people who inspired this center. This space belongs to you. We hope it becomes a place where friendships are formed, talents are discovered, confidence is built, dreams begin to take shape, and memories are made that last a lifetime.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for today’s ribbon-cutting and helped celebrate this exciting milestone for our children, families, and community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the Dafmark Youth Wellness Center will have for years to come.
— Dusti Dennis, Executive Director
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