Sophia Do and Rachael Dole found the new Thomas Toy Community Center much to their liking.

They came about the 8,000-square-foot teen-base community center at the southwest corner of Fremont and Yosemite avenues (602 E. Yosemite Ave.) for seventh- through- 12th- grade students via social media.

“It’s cool,” said Dole, 15, who is a sophomore at Sierra High.

Her friend, Do, who is also 15 and a sophomore at SHS, agreed on that first impression, adding: “It’s fun (being here).”

They were there for the Teen Center Game Night, which Executive Director Albino Moreno called “a sneak preview.”

The Game Night and Food Truck event – those in attendance were given one ticket good for either a hamburger, taco, burrito, or chicken items on one of the two food trucks – was a taste of what the Toy Community Center had to offer.

A Pizza & Movie Night is scheduled for next month.

Albino and Administrative Assistant Michelle Kramer are anticipating a fall opening of the Thomas Toy Community Center.

They’ve had a few open house-type events during the summer including one for volunteers to work the front desk; serve as mentors; operate the media center to do podcasting, audio recording, and video capture & editing; do bike repair, automotive, and skateboards; serve at the on-site café; display work in gardening; lead in arts & crafts; perform, play, or assist classes in music; and monitor students in the game / rec room.

The goal for those involved in the Thomas Toy Community Center is to provide a safe place for high school students to make connections, interact, grow, learn, and serve in a person-to-person setting and not the virtual reality disconnected connected world of the Internet populated with avatars.

For more information, log on to www.thomastoycc.org.