My letter to the editor was printed in the paper Sunday. I was extremely excited it was in Sunday's paper...that is more read than any other day of the week and that obviously, a lot of people read my letter, b/c I get compliments everywhere I go. I appreciate all the compliments, but that's not why I wrote it. I did it in hopes of saving my program. Letters to principals, parents, staff and students also went out this week. Probably most promising, I had a mtg today regarding some alternative funding opportunities and it was very positive. That's really all ask too. If SOS is cut, yes that's tragic, but if the Lord will send another opportunity my way, if I can find another grant, if I can collaborate with other organizations, ANYTHING to make sure these kids have somewhere to go after school, then that is what I will do! As I was going through my past participants paperwork and gathering addresses I could not help but cry thinking of the hundreds of kids and families I have come in contact over the years. More importantly, I don't know what some of them, a lot of them actually, would have done without the SOS program. I made a lot of changes to my letter since it was first posted and I'm posting my letter complete with our legislators info. in case someone reads this and is interested in writing a letter.
March 24, 2009
Dear SOS Parents, Students, Staff, Principals, Volunteers and Supporters,
I write to you all with a heavy heart and a troubled mind. Many of you may have read in Monday’s Courier Tribune that the Support Our Students program is on the chopping block in Governor Perdue’s proposed budget cuts. This program was nominated for deletion because according to Perdue, it is either “inefficient, too expensive or nonessential.”
So far this year, the YMCA SOS program has served over 60 youth by providing them with a safe and supervised environment during those crucial after school hours from 3 to 6 pm when most juvenile crime occurs. These students are provided with positive alternatives such as homework assistance, the NC Cooperative Extension Randolph Co. Center Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program, community service projects and group activities to occupy this time. This year’s SOS community service project was a can food drive for the Christians United Outreach Center (CUOC). The SOS students at Uwharrie Middle School gathered, organized and boxed almost 3,000 cans of food in just three days! Past projects have included Salvation Army bell ringing for the donation buckets, sending care packages to the troops, a teddy bear drive, making “no sew” fleece blankets for the children at Victory Junction Gang Camp, Red Cross Blood Drives and more.
In 2008, 20 teens were granted scholarships with SOS funding to attend the Y’s Xtreme Teens summer camp where again, they were in a safe environment and supervised by positive role models. These teens spent the summer participating in community service projects for the CUOC thrift store & Salvation Army food pantry, going on field trips, team-building activities, sports, swimming & having splash pad fun, as well as, weekly programming provided by Randolph County 4-H, Partnership for a Drug Free NC and Healthy Minds, Healthy Children. Over the course of the eight years the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA has operated SOS; over 1,000 Randolph County youth have been influenced by this program. In a 2006 evaluation of the program, over 40% of students raised their English/Language Arts grades by half a letter grade or more and 44% did the same with their Math grades. While in the program, 100% said they would not be supervised after school if it wasn’t for SOS and that they felt safe and accepted by their SOS peers and YMCA counselors.
This is just a sampling of how the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA SOS program has impacted the youth of Randolph County. When it comes to children, especially the middle school population that doesn’t have many alternatives after school or during the long days of summer, not one of these details is “inefficient, too expensive or nonessential.” However; if Governor Perdue’s proposed budget is approved by the Legislature, the effects on the juvenile justice system for not having the SOS program available to prevent youth from being involved in dangerous and risky behavior, would be very inefficient and expensive due to the elimination of one very essential youth program.
I am asking each and every one of you to please write letters to our Representatives, Harold Brubaker and Pat Hurley, and our Senator, Jerry Tillman, expressing the impact the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA SOS Program has had on you, your children or your students. Your support could make all the difference. You can send these letters through me or directly to:
Rep. Harold Brubaker
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones St, Room 1229
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Rep. Pat Hurley
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury St, Room 607
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Senator Jerry Tillman
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury St, Room 628
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Sincerely Yours,
Celena R. Fleming
Community Development & SOS Program Director
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