Some thoughts before I retire for the night. Just finished the annual golf tournament fundraiser for the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center youth center where I serve as executive director. I remember 24 years ago when our fundraisers consisted of selling chocolate and caramel Katydids candy in front of Vons Market and holding gospel concert fundraisers at my cousins church. Both fundraisers would typically net us a couple hundred dollars--about half our rent on a two-room storefront on 91st and Western. Were still on Western across the street from our original site but in five buildings we own now and with programs serving more than 700 kids in grades 3-12 at our center and other sites. Expenses in the hundreds of thousands now, requiring bigger and better fundraising. It breaks my heart to think of the closure of the afterschool program in Nickerson Gardens. I understand how this can happen and pray for us both. Through fundraisers and grants, some very dedicated board members, staff and friends and the grace of God we have remained open since 1990 when my aunt founded the center in honor of her son, killed in a drive-by shooting. It has always been a struggle financially. We survive with some tight controls and cut backs, with partnerships and in-kind gifts defraying costs, and with some great people stepping in when times get critical. But even with this we cut it close monthly and are always on edge hoping and praying that the donations or grants come in time to keep our level of services going (afterschool, summer, SAT-prep and more). Nothing is guaranteed, like the fact that not one person among my FB friends responded to my postings about our golf or past dinner fundraisers. All the gifts came from without. I wish more of our community members would join us in providing a safe and caring place with education and recreation for our kids. I know you like the work because you tell me so but if youd only understand how even a $20 donation adds up when more than one chips in. I smile every time I see a check in a small amount because I know that person understands what it takes. I appreciate the time they took to write a check or go online because I know what its like to be busy and have to stop and do that. There is one retired couple who sends a $25 check every time we send out an invitation. If we had only a dozen people sending this every month it would pay for the gas needed to pick up the 20 or so kids we pick up daily from schools to bring them to the center for help with homework and more. I just added up all the 20s people gave us at the golf tournament and it was over $600--enough for two months transportation. And the fundraising continues. Im not planning to report on our closure one day. It wont happen with support from people responding to the challenges. Even a good idea for some social enterpreneurship or investments would be great. Im looking into this now so we wont be so reliant on grants and fundraisers. Being frank, we could easily have to suck it up and tell our kids sorry but we have to close if for some reason the funds dry up as they did in 2010 when we had to cut our budget almost in half, which also meant cutting staff and activities. God has blessed us to continue but its tight. We still need help. If youd like to contribute, see our Donate page at wootencenter.org. Everything helps. Thanks for listening. Good night.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 08:02:34 +0000
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