Chamberlain’s Children Center was awarded a $23,000 grant on
Thursday as part of Leadership San Benito County’s ongoing effort
to raise $50,000 to improve the center’s facilities by December. A
total of $30,000 has been raised to date.
Hollister – Chamberlain’s Children Center was awarded a $23,000 grant on Thursday as part of Leadership San Benito County’s ongoing effort to raise $50,000 to improve the center’s facilities by December. A total of $30,000 has been raised to date.
The grant was awarded through the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, with most of the funds coming from its AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament. Each year the foundation awards over $4 million to organizations meeting certain eligibility requirements within Monterey and surrounding counties.
Leadership San Benito is a year-long class run by the Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of cultivating skills in people who want to get involved in the community.
The center was chosen for Leadership’s community service project after several brainstorming sessions in the spring. The class wanted to support a cause that is usually looked over by major donors, could produce tangible results, and involve all of Leadership’s 26 students as well as other members of the community.
“When we visited the home, it seemed a little desolate,” said Kim Walker, a member of the project committee. “(The children) were playing with plywood and cinder blocks to ride their bikes over, and there was no fence. I have a six year old myself, and the fact that they were playing so close to that busy street is scary.”
The grant will help the center build a new fence, with any money left over going toward a new playground. The project is scheduled to be completed next May.
The Center is a last-chance home for children with behavior problems – most are victims of severe child abuse – who cannot be placed in conventional foster care. Staff at the center focus on teaching social skills so that one day the children can attend public school and be placed with a family.
Currently, 24 children between the ages of six and 17 reside at the Center. Crumrine claims that over 90 percent of children who leave the center with their recommendation are successfully placed with families and remain there.
Last month the Leadership class sponsored a “Family Fun Fest and Flea Market,” which brought in $5,000. Children from the center helped at the event.
“We had two objectives going into this,” said Dennie Reeves, the co-committee chair for the project. “The first, of course, was the money. The other was to raise awareness about these kids in the eyes of the community.”
Yesterday the center was awarded a $1,500 grant from the San Benito County Community Foundation. A $500 donation has been promised from the San Benito County Winegrower’s Association. GMAC Mortgage has donated $1,000, and the San Juan Bautista Rotary Club has also set aside $2,000 for the center.
In order to meet their fundraising goal by the end of the year, Leadership has a few more events planned. On August 13 the class will hold a raffle at the Hollister Street Festival, and in October a larger-scale Helicopter Golf Ball Drop will take place to benefit the Center.
“We’re so grateful for everyone’s help,” said committee member Kim Walker. “We know there’s not a lot of money in this town, so the fact that so many people are contributing is huge.”
To donate to Chamberlain’s, call 636-2121.
