07/23/2026
Dear Friends,
It is with sadness and also deep gratitude that we announce the departure of our Director of Teen Programs, Jacqueline Roland, who will be leaving the Grapevine at the end of August. Jacqueline joined our organization in 2016 and, over the past 10 years, has led our Avenue A Teen Center into a period of exponential growth. Her vision and passion for developing fun, safe and responsive teen programs has made Avenue A what it is today - a center serving nearly 350 teens each year, with the support of 70 active and engaged volunteers. Jacqueline's contributions have cast a bright light on our organization and community, as one that values, cares for and invests in our youth.
Members of the Avenue A community will be invited to a celebration in Jacqueline's honor. We also invite our many friends and supporters to share words of thanks and encouragement for Jacqueline, as she embarks on her next journey! You can send her a note by messaging [email protected], and these will be compiled into a special keepsake. Consider a haiku, short poem, favorite memory, or note of appreciation that we can include. Whether it is heartfelt, humorous, or simply a few kind words, we hope to collect messages that reflect the many ways she has touched our community over the years.
In the coming weeks, we'll be forming a search committee and creating opportunities for input from our volunteers, parents and teens to inform our hiring process. We anticipate that there will be temporary changes to some of our Avenue A programs this fall while we undergo the search for a new Director. Should you have any questions, please reach out to our Executive Director, Melissa Gallagher. You can also read a personal letter from Jacqueline here: https://avenueatc.org/news-from-jacqueline/. We appreciate your understanding and support! 💜🌻🌻
