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From the Director's DeskSpring 2009 Dear Westside Community Center Supporters: This is just to update you on the status of the Center’s programs and services in these challenging economic times, in order to assure you of the cost-effectiveness of the Center’s current initiatives in behalf of youth and their families. Fortunately, our programming decisions and modest origins have, thus far , served us well. We’ve never been able to afford extravagances, employee benefits, or even a fulltime staff of more than one. So, our habit of doing a lot with a little is now an invaluable survival-skill. So too, is our policy of tailoring our programs to the specific needs of working-class youth: An area that we can all agree deserves our devoted attention. Since 2004, the Center has progressed steadily away from services and activities focused primarily on social and recreational objectives, to programs with objectives focused on youth health, education and work ethics. Our goal is to help grow a generation of educated, tax-paying, middle-class working people and entrepreneurs in a community that has lain economically fallow for far longer than we can afford. The Westside Community Center’s current programs include: The After School Zone for working-class latchkey-kids from four nearby schools; The Center for Fine Arts, producing Summer Fine Arts, All That Jazz, our Writers Workshop and other aesthetic activities and events; On-Cue abstinence-based sex education for teens; Peaceful Warriors, anger management/conflict resolution for 5th Graders; Work Ethics Pro$per, employment preparedness education for 13-18 yr. old youth. In addition to those United Way supported programs, we collaborate with local agencies on programs for senior citizens. We also provide meeting and event space for other non-profit organizations and initiatives, like Washington County Child Guidance Counseling, the Bartlesville Knitting & Fiber Guild, Head Start and others: Gratis. We do appreciate your support of these efforts. Your personal or foundation contribution, your attendance at our annual “All That Jazz” fundraiser, your volunteerism and goodwill enable us to serve around 200 –individual- young people each year.
4% Recreation related to all of the above. Our budget for 2010 is $150,000. 50% or more of that will go directly to the youth we serve in several forms. For example: W.E. Pro$per awards scholarships of $650 to apprentices who complete 100 hours of apprenticeship at local businesses and agencies between June and August each summer; After School Zone kids are issued Wal-Mart “reloadable” cards on which a $5-$10 balance is maintained based on each child’s citizenship at school and in the Zone, as well as her or his grades. Two bucks -$2- a day! That’s all we spend to provide all our services to around 200 kids each year. We have a full-time staff of one Executive Director, six part-time employees, six-eight volunteers, and about twenty special events volunteers. This is what we’re working with. We have never taken your support for granted, that’s why your Westside Community Center works hard to be your most accountable, productive, charity. Thank you for your historic support of our work on behalf of the working poor and their neighbors. We hope you will continue to support the Westside Community Center and its youth programs in the future. Most Sincerely, Morris McCorvey Executive Director Westside Community Center |