LYNDORA — On April 21, members, employees, volunteers and friends of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Community Center will gather to celebrate 70 years of service to the community.

On that night, a banquet will be held to celebrate the efforts made by volunteers, staff and donors throughout the years.

Though decades have passed since a group of African American residents in Butler began gathering for social and recreational activities, the vision of those founders is still true today.

"Dunbar's basic vision is that people start seeing each other for the individuals that they are," said the center's executive director Cathleen Folmer.

Another characteristic that has remained consistent has been the need for a bigger space with a better location.

The small building, which sits on the corner of bustling Hansen Avenue and Fairground Hill Road, has served as home to Dunbar members for more than 50 years.

On the main floor, computers and full bookshelves line the walls stopping at a small storage area and a cramped corner office. Though humble in its decor, the center also wears the portraits of heroes through history, such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Paul Laurence Dunbar, the Ohio-born poet for whom the center was named.

In the lower level of the building is a room that accommodates several activities, including ceramics classes, which have long been popular with center attendants.

Despite its cramped quarters, the center's volunteers and employees spare no effort to provide the wide variety of activities requested by children and adults.

The same space where quilters meet to compare stitches is quickly cleared of tables of for spring and fall Tai Chi lessons, where a group of mostly seniors concentrate their energies on unified, graceful movements.

This same space has also been cleared for concerts that feature the talent of young local performers. Folmer said performers are asked to give the center half of the admission fees as a form of rent.

Providing a safe and fun place for youths to gather is one of the main goals of the center, said Min Offstein of Center Township, who serves on the center's board of directors.

"When its hot, (the children) can go in there and it's air-conditioned, when it's cold they have some place that's heated. It's a safe environment," she said.

Mary Ann Dandoy, the assistant director of the center who oversees the Kids' Klub program, said the center fills a need for interaction that as a youth she found in her own neighborhood.

The Kid's Klub, which attracts mostly children ages 5 to 12, features both structured and unstructured activities after school, on Saturdays and on Act 80 days in the Butler School District.

With the help of high school volunteers, the Kids Klub provides afternoon activities for older youth as well.

Through a variety of activities, access to computers and homework help and occasional guest speakers, the youths learn as well as play.

"They become more aware of the world around us," said Dandoy.

The $30 annual membership fee for youths gives access to regularly scheduled and special activities. Yet those unable to pay the fee are never turned away, noted Folmer.

The number of youth attending the center increased from just under 900 in 2004 to nearly 940 in 2005.

In total, memberships at the center in 2005 accounted for $4,000 of the center's $80,000 budget. More than half of the annual operating costs come from the United Way, which lists the Dunbar Center as a member agency.

The remainder of the cost is gathered through grants, contributions and proceeds from special events and fund raisers.

Despite the increase in youth attendance, Louise Baldauf, the president of the board of directors said many people are still unaware of what the center has to offer.

"It seems like a lot of people don't have interest in (the center),"she said. "If everybody in the community would help a little bit, it would be marvelous."

<B>Founded: 1936<B>Location:</B> 501 Fairground Hill Road, Lyndora<B>Membership FEES:</B>$25/adults, $30/youth ages five to 18 and $50/family.<B>Programs offered: </B>Kid's Klub homework help and recreation program; scouting for boys and girls, computer lessons and internet access, private tutoring, ceramics, quilting, Tai Chi, clogging, Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, 4-H.<B>Executive Director:</B>Cathleen Folmer<B>Annual Budget:</B>$79,950<B>2005 Attendance: </B>936 youth and 336 adults.<B>Source: </B>2005 Annual Report

If You're Going

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What:Paul Laurence Dunbar Community Center's 70th Anniversary Banquet, featuring guest speakers and the performance of "Paul Laurence Dunbar in Truth,"a play by Dr. Patrick Grant

When:6:30 to 10 p.m. April 21Where: Butler Days Inn, Route 8, Butler Township

Cost: $25 each ticket, tickets available at the Dunbar Center, 501 Fairground Hill Road, Lyndora, or by mailing reservations and payment or donations to the Paul Laurence Dunbar Community Center, 501 Fairground Hill Road, Butler, PA16001.

For information:724-287-5648.