For nearly 140 years, Hall Neighborhood House has been a staple in the Bridgeport community. “It’s a busy place,” the community center’s director of development Nick Sentementes told the CBIA BizCast. “We serve about 500 people on a daily basis.” Hall Neighborhood House got its beginning in the 1800s when a woman named Sarah Hall opened her doors to immigrant women and children. Hall helped them find jobs and enroll children in school. Sentementes said over the years, the center expanded to serve people across the east side of Bridgeport. Today, the center features numerous programs for people of all ages from preschool and childcare to elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as a senior center, health and dental clinic, university partnerships, and sports clinics. “It’s busy from 7 am to 9 o’clock in the evening,” Sentementes said. One of the center’s most popular programs is its STEM classroom. “We have 3D printers, we have I-Bots, we have microscopes, and the kids really love it,” Sentementes said. “I think they love STEM as much as they love gym.” And Hall Neighborhood House’s impact goes beyond the center’s walls. The organization is working to bring STEM classrooms to Bridgeport’s public schools. The initiative was started by a prominent donor and named in honor of Alan Wallack, a longtime Bridgeport educator who passed away several years ago. Sentementes said Hall STEM classroom teachers train staff at the schools and provide the curriculum and equipment at no cost to the schools. “The goal was to put a STEM classroom in all 30 of the Bridgeport K through eight public schools, and today, there are 22,” he said. “We have eight more to go, and we've had nothing but great results and good publicity regarding it.” Sentementes joined the center after a 30-year career in the banking industry. “I wanted to do something else,” he said. He joined Hall Neighborhood House after speaking with executive director Bob Dzurenda. “I found a sense of camaraderie," Sentementes said. “Everyone's helping each other, sharing their thoughts and ideas, best practices, and everyone's looking to assist each other.” The center has about 120 employees—Sentementes said many of them used the center as kids. “It’s kind of a family environment,” he said. As director of development, Sentementes works with businesses, executives, and philanthropic organizations to build support for Hall Neighborhood House. And he said the response from the business community has been great. “The most rewarding for me is going out and meeting interesting, successful, generous, philanthropic people that want to help, and that makes it worthwhile,” he said. Sentementes said it’s a busy time as the center looks to expand. “We have a waiting list for all our programs, so we're in the process of trying to add 10,000 square feet to our building,” he said. They’re also looking into the possibility of using a piece of property next door to add a soccer field, a playground, or a splash pad for the kids. Sentementes called Hall Neighborhood House a “hidden gem” and said it’s his job to make sure people know what the center is all about. “Our mission is to educate, empower, and enrich the local residents of the east side of Bridgeport,” he said. “So we're bringing in people, and I really don't have to say much—the place kind of speaks for itself.” Related Links: Hall Neighborhood House Website: https://hallneighborhoodhouse.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hall-neighborhood-house-inc./ Nick Sentementes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-sentementes/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/
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