Remarkable Historic CFUM!

 

CFUM is a remarkable before and afterschool educational and food program for children and  families.

 

I am honored and humbled to be the current Executive Director of this historic place.  We have a well known beloved Breakfast Club at Trinity Las Americas church,  launched by the Black Panthers in the late 60’s and continued by Methodist church leaders,  who later launched CFUM, added the afterschool, Spring Break Day Camp and Awesome Summer Days Camp.

 

Not a month goes by without former student, now a successful productive adult, stopping by  CFUM, to say, this place saved my life. Or, this place changed my life.

Or, all I know is, the church on the corner had food, and I was hungry.

 

IMPACT

We still are feeding hungry kids at our breakfast club  and our New Breakfast Club at

Cattell Elementary.

 

Our afterschool, Spring Break & Awesome Summer Days programs, along with Moulton Elementary Staff, have have helped our collective students make huge strides;

 Since last year;!

1.Chronic Absences are down 22% 

2.Referrals are down 50% and none are Level 4-highest level

3.Our students are scoring 13% higher in their auto math testing than last spring 

4.Our students are scoring 11% higher in their auto read testing than last spring

5.Over half of our students are meeting their benchmark in math (53%)

More than academics, though, which is the primary focus at CFUM, I’ve seen vast overwhelming improvements in our kids hope and happiness, which I believe leads to their success.

 

When I first visited, I saw more hurt and trauma on the faces of CFUM kids than on the faces of the children devastated by homelessness at Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row in Los Angeles.

 

I was puzzled by this. CFUM had less front line staff at the time, and that was likely a factor. Many things have changed, for the positive. Especially hope and happiness.

 

 

 

When I  first came to CFUM we decided to celebrate the kids as they arrived each day and we celebrate their birthdays each month with homemade cupcakes and a gift bag. Something we did at Union Rescue Mission through Worthy of Love.

My first day-I was asked to read to a little handsome boy with a spectacular head of hair.

 

Apparently, he had lost his cool, checked out, and wasn’t talking. I didn’t know what had happened, was he non verbal, angry? Sabrina, our Haven Program Director, asked me to read him a book about the night sky. As I read he said nothing. After we finished he went over to play a carrom game and was dominating and trash talking. I realized he had recovered. Later, at one of our monthly birthday celebrations, he grabbed a a homemade cupcake, and gave me a big ole hug.

 

The other night I told him I hadn’t seen him play the carrom board in a long time. He let me know it had disappeared awhile ago. We went on Amazon, picked the right one, and the boys are back to an occasional game, with just a little less trash talking. 🙂

 

It is hard for me to describe how much he has grown, physically, emotionally, relationally. He is a tremendous young man.

 

Yesterday, a beautiful little girl from Africa, 6 years old, saw me struggling to Zip my coat. She walked over and helped me zip my coat. I said, “You’re the Best!” She quickly shouted back, “No! You’re The best! I get tears of joy even writing this.

Our kids are so kind and full of compassion, despite or perhaps due to their own struggles, and our committed passionate CFUM team’s assurance of love.

 

As our volunteer extraordinaire and CFUM  Board Member, Jack Bell, said this week, “we have a fabulous team of frontline staff who love our kids and want and do everything humanly possible to see our precious kids to succeed.

 

I’d love to see you become a part of CFUM as a reading buddy or other. We have many opportunities at Breakfast  Club, Supper Club,  Haven afterschool program, Spring Break sponsors, Awesome Summer Days sponsors and volunteer chaperones.

 

We have several special financial giving opportunities coming up as well, along with the regular giving for Breakfast Club, Supper Club, Haven and more.

 

$4,700 for breakfast lunch and treat during our Spring Break Full Steam Ahead Program

 

$8,000 more to complete  our Awesome Summer Days Fun & learning filled Field Trips

 

$4,000 toward partnership with T.E.A.C.H Iowa to assist our front line teachers to be fully qualified as CHILD Development Associates, helping with with quality and retention

 

 

 $6000 for 1 Week of Overnight Camping for our 6th-8th graders/Alumni of Haven K-5th grade program.

CFUM.org Children and Family Urban Movement truly is a remarkable place.