FERRIDAY, La. — Local leaders will have to form a steering committee and raise thousands of dollars before a Ferriday YMCA can be established, central Louisiana Y officials said.

&uot;We’re willing to come here and see how much support is in the community for this,&uot; Ben Hopkins, vice president of the board of the YMCA of Central Louisiana, said at a Wednesday meeting with about 30 community leaders at Town Hall.

But there are many steps to be taken before a YMCA can be established. A steering committee will now be formed to determine what programs should be offered at the facility, which will be in the old Florida Street Gym building.

The programs will most likely include after-school programs, including crafts and recreation, for youth in Ferriday — and eventually those living throughout Concordia Parish — and leadership programs for black youth. The facility must first be renovated, which Mayor Glen McGlothin has said could take a year or two.

And it will take money. Establishing a Y branch takes raising $50,000 to $75,000 a year for the three years it takes a fledgling YMCA branch to grow. A 3-mill tax voters passed for Recreation District No. 1, which includes Ferriday, generates $73,000 a year, of which about $40,000 is available to help fund Y programs, said town Administrative Assistant Alex Promise. The rest could be made up through Y memberships and donations from local businesses, nonprofits and other groups and individuals. The money would be used to hire a director and staff and operate the building and Y programs.

The committee will also solicit donations from local nonprofits to subsidize program fees for youth who could not afford to take part otherwise, Promise said.

&uot;Our policy is never to turn anyone away,&uot;&160;said Rodney Martin, the agency’s executive director.

The community must show it is enthusiastic about hosting a Y branch and is willing to work to achieve that goal before an existing Y staffer can be named to direct the Ferriday branch for the first three years, Martin said.

&uot;Y’all will call us back in when you’re ready,&uot; said David Brewer, president of the YMCA of Central Louisiana’s board.

&uot;I support, 100 percent, anything that will help our children,&uot; said Concordia Parish school Superintendent Lester &uot;Pete&uot; Peterman, who attended the meeting. &uot;There’s definitely a need for after-school programs.&uot;

&uot;Having a centralized effort like this will make it easier to recruit volunteers,&uot; said Windell Millicks, president of the Concord Youth and Adult Association. &uot;We do need programs like this.&uot;

&uot;We can either pay to put youth in programs like this now or pay later to put them in juvenile (detention) centers,&uot; said Todd Tucker, assistant pastor of the United Pentecostal Church in Ferriday.