Young people are growing up in a new, shifting and complicated world. They often long for mentors who will accept and respect them and who can point them toward purpose and significance as they navigate through the complex maze of life.

SHELTER’s youth community centre, DropZone, hopes to achieve this by providing positive adult friends to help teenagers in their journey in life, as well as helping them gain some skills, assets and attitudes that they will need to achieve their potential in life. DropZone is a membership youth centre for 13-20 year olds, taking after the concept of a drop-in centre that runs youth related activities in the hope that it becomes a healthy alternative for a hangout place that focuses on the personal development of youth.

Wholesome activities and opportunities such as board games, screening of educational documentaries and movies and opportunities to chat with caring peers and adults will be made available. In time, SHELTER hopes to organize instructional programmes like music workshops, motivational talks and camps. Special monthly features such as band performances have also been planned with the aim of penetrating the diverse youth subcultures through the powerful medium of music.

By intentionally infusing positive influences through activities, friendships, mentoring, counselling and indirectly through the staff’s lifestyle, we hope to provide the youths with tools to cope with personal issues and the challenges and frustrations of home and of society in general. At DropZone, we believe that behind every face there is a story and every person is a story in progress. We want to hear their stories and to join them in making good stories in their lives.

SHELTER’s DropZone started operations in Old Town, Petaling Jaya since June 2006. On the first day, we had 17 interested youths who dropped by to check out our place!

(UPDATE: DropZone is currently no longer under us and has been taken over by Leaderonomics)