2003-253N - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

y SAC / DASIE HOPE CENTER Be PROGRAM NEED STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page) 1 . a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change? b) Who has the need ? c) Where do they live? d) Provide local, state or national trend data, with reference source, that corroborates that this is an area of need. Studies have shown that in rural and low-income areas, after-school programs are essential to counteract the effects of factors that can contribute to youth ' s lack of opportunities and ability to success academically (Posner and Vandell, 1994). The total number of persons living below the poverty level in Indian River County is comprise of over 11 .2% ( 12,650 individuals) of the county' s total population. A total of 20. 3 % of Indian River County youth live below the poverty level. A higher portion of those persons living below the poverty level live within the Wabasso community. Many of the households include youth who also fall below the poverty level. Additionally, a lack of public transportation is a major issue for the Wabasso community. Access to locations that provide services are unavailable to Wabasso residents due to a lack of transportation. Community services are lacking with in the Wabasso community. The vision of the Dasie Hope Center is to provide a sense of community pride by providing the youth a safe place to live and to learn. The Dasie Hope Center will address, meet and hopefully revitalize the needs of the Wabasso community by providing localized community services. US Census Bureau Statistics 2000* for Indian River County are as follows: Population: 112,947 (Over 25 % increase) Persons under 18 : 19.2% High School Grads : 51 ,000 (About 50%) College Grads: 12,679 (About 10%) Households w/ persons under 18 : 24.3 % Persons below poverty level : 11 .2% Children below poverty level : 20. 3 % *Taken from quicacts. census. ov 2. a) Identify similar programs that are currently serving the needs of your targeted population ; b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program. Other programs dedicated to helping the Wabasso community include : • Gifford Youth Activity Center • The Boys and Girls Club of Sebastian • Wabasso Head Start Program Many of the youth who live in the Wabasso community do not have the necessary transportation to travel to Sebastian or Gifford. Thus the youth are unable to acquire services from the above mentioned programs. Almost all of the youth who utilize the Dasie Hope Center' s services are latchkey kids. These youth would be forced to return to an unsupervised, empty home after school if not for Dasie Hope Center. Our center is within walking distance for most residents of Wabasso and has become an official school bus stop in the Wabasso community. s' z