Vance Avenue Youth Development Center’s new playground, officially opened July 30, 2026, fills a gap in the center’s portfolio of services and resources, which include tutoring, social services referrals, food assistance and job placement services. Children near the Vance Avenue Youth Develop ment Center south of downtown now have a dedicated space to work their after-school and weekend jobs — playing hard and having a whole lot of fun. With the help of several donor organizations, the center cut the ribbon on a new playground on July 30. The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, an anti-poverty advocacy group founded in 1995, led the development of the playground with seed money from former Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr.’s Much Required Initiative, a philanthropic foundation, and other funders. The playground is meant to provide safe outdoor recreation, physical activity and community connection for children living in the Vance Avenue neighborhood. ...read more read less