A New Kind of Space - NaperBridge and the Alive Center to Merge

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Jan. 11, 2015 - PRLog -- ­NAPERVILLE, IL – Looking to expand and grow with increasing demand, NaperBridge Teen Center is merging with the newly formed Alive Center.

NaperBridge, an independent charitable organization founded by a group of long time Naperville residents, exists to provide a welcoming, safe place for Naperville teens to belong, create, perform, lead, play and be empowered in a values-driven environment. Opening in 2013, NaperBridge has quickly found itself expanding beyond its resources and cozy 500 square-foot space in downtown Naperville, IL. NaperBridge Board President Jeff Haake remarks, "Merging with the Alive Center provides both the needed space and funding model to keep the NaperBridge vision 'alive.'  Our missions could not be more compatible."

The Alive Center was recently founded by Kandice Henning, Executive Director. Alive is a nonprofit center that helps teens and adults connect with what makes them come alive.  Alive offers workshops, classes, teen programs, and private or group coaching in a variety of practices that support physical and emotional well-being and inspire personal growth and purpose. It is a soon to open 5,000 square foot facility, which is easily accessible within walking or short driving distance from middle schools, high schools and neighborhoods in the downtown Naperville area.

Alive’s mission, like NaperBridge’s, is to provide the community with an inclusive environment of learning, sharing and discovery that enables people to connect with what makes them come alive.  Henning says that her life’s purpose is to inspire others.  Henning says, “I’m passionate about helping people connect with their best selves-with their life purpose, and then taking that out into the world.” Henning likes “to help people create the lives they desire.”

Haake, also a founding member of NaperBridge, tells the story of how a young teen woman was kicked out of a car by her inebriated mother. Crying, and wandering lost, she found NaperBridge.  She had visited the center before and knew it would be a safe place for her to wait until her father would be home to pick her up.  Haake says, “That this is just one example of many, where NaperBridge is meeting an unmet need in our community. Many of our teens are looking for a safe, welcoming place to belong…to be themselves.  NaperBridge, and now the Alive Center, provide this space.”

Austin M. Hansen, who was NaperBridge’s 1^st Student Advisory President, and currently a student at George Washington University, agrees that this coming together makes lots of sense.  “I am convinced that the Alive-NaperBridge merger will be nothing less than a conglomeration of awesome and I cannot wait to witness and support the implementation of the combined missions!”

The new warehouse-styled space will allow both NaperBridge and Alive room to grow with their ability to create and host much larger student-driven programs such as wellness classes, concerts, talent shows, dances, poetry slams and much more.  The merger is expected to be complete by February 1^st and doors are expected to be open in April of 2015.  The new Alive Center will be located at 500 West 5^th Avenue behind Naperville North High School.

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If you would like to learn more about this merger or schedule an interview, please contact Kandice Henning at Kandice@alivenaperville.com – 630.802.2547.  Learn more about Alive at alivenaperville.com and https://www.facebook.com/alivenaperville