Family Photo Assignment

This photo was taken at around 2:30 in the morning on 12/31/2013. The place, the Father Marot CYO Center, 53 Federal Street, Woonsocket, RI. We were having a lock-in fundraiser. This lovely group of teenagers raised about $30 each to come here at 7 at night and remain until 7 in the morning, playing games and doing different activities. Including the adults, there were 28 of us. The night was amazing. I am on the Leadership Team for the Center (as we refer to it) so did the planning along with my fellow team members. I know this assignment was about family and they aren't my blood family, other than my brother standing in the upper left hand corner, but they all treat me like family and they feel like my family just the same.
A little bit of background on the Center. It's a building that's staff is very big on faith, as it is a Catholic organization, but is open to anyone for events. There is a gymnasium downstairs and a hall known as the Main Hall upstairs that they rent out often. The Main Hall is actually the largest rental hall in Northern Rhode Island, holding up to 413 people. There are many events that are held in this wonderful building. There are prayer meetings on all but the first Monday of the month. That Monday they take a bus to an event call Glorify at the sister center in Cranston. Two Fridays each month are dedicated to Drop-ins, one for middle school aged youth, the other for high school aged youth. The middle school nights have about 60 regulars each month. Also, they host retreats, which can be a day or the weekend. The biggest one is called Search. They hold one every few months, as does the sister center. The next one actually starts tomorrow, 2/14/14, at 7 pm, if anyone that sees this before then is interested :).
I could go on and on about this wonderful place. It's a second home to me. As a matter of fact, after my birth, my parents brought me here before they even brought me home. I grew up helping out at the Search weekends while my parents were in the kitchen helping to prepare the meals. The director became my brother's godmother, my Aunt Fernie. This is my favorite place in the world. The building and the people that work and go here have helped me through some really hard times and lots of troubles. So while they aren't actually related to me, they might as well be because of how close I feel to them, how much they mean to me, and all they do for and with me.