Operation OnRamp

     Spring Break is almost over!  For many of you this fact does not result in much excitement.  For the parent of two twitchy, school-aged children whose inherent volume constantly wakes up their 3-month old sister this is some of the best news ever.  I mean...hypothetically that would be the case.

     Spring Break at Joel's Place has been much more fun.  We have put on a skate camp for kids wanting to learn (pictures coming).  We have lots going on and a lot of foot traffic.  Last night when I left there were over 40 kids biking, eating, playing and simply hanging out in the building.  The staff had their hands full, but they are exceptional and we have a large enough group that our environment can continue to be safe.  For those who haven't heard, we have added Ariel Lane as our Director of Youth Development here at Joel's Place.  She is an amazing woman of God whose job revolves around helping our older members to transition into employment or higher education.  She is just starting off and building relationships with the kids, but I am excited to see our youth receive the kinds of connections and skills to succeed in the world after they leave here.

     Speaking of new additions, this week the Board of Directors added two new members: Andy Duff and Christopher Huffman.  Both bring great ideas and resources to our organization and I am extremely excited to have them on board.

     This past Board Meeting I also threw out an idea that I really want to pursue:  Operation OnRamp.  The long-term lament that I have heard from our Board, the staff, parents and kids alike is that we have to charge kids for skating.  The costs are minimal: $50 for an annual membership and anywhere between $3-$7 for a two hour session.  The money goes towards paying for our Front Desk Attendant and Skate Park Manager, our utilities, skate park insurance and our KidTrax software subscription.  Without the earned income of the skate park, all of those pieces would go away...meaning Joel's Place would have a really nice skate park that no one could set foot in.  But what if there was a way to cover our earned income without charging families with limited resources?  What if the kids who needed to be at Joel's Place the most did not stay away because they wanted to avoid feeling poor again?  What if Joel's Place was viewed as an amazing gift from our community to the kids who so often feel discarded and rejected?

     Enter Operation OnRamp.  I am looking to find 12 funding sources that will provide $5,000.  That will cover our 12 months of earned income and allow us to offer our skate park without charge for one year.  I am applying for as many grants and looking for as many major donors as I can find to try to make this happen.  If we were able to pull this off, the impact would be enormous: foot traffic would increase and more kids would be able to take advantage of our other resources like free meals, life skill/job skill trainings and tutoring.  This is a gift that would continue giving as an entire generation of high-risk young people would see the direction of their lives change.

     I am excited and throwing myself into trying to make this happen.  If you are interested in helping, either by donations or you have some ideas, please let me know.  I would love to head into the summer with the first 4 months of funding in place.

With much hope and joy,
James