- Rotary Year: 2018-2019
- Application Date: 5/29/2018
- Club Name: Roanoke-Downtown
- Project Name: West End Center Playground improvements and Raised Garden Beds
- Project Total Expenditures: $8,000.00
- Grant Amount Requested: $4,000.00
- Describe the Project, its location and its objectives: The West End Center for Youth is a non-profit organization operating in Roanoke, Virginia. The Center provides various services for at-risk youth through its after school and summer programs. Our project would support the center’s Wellness program which helps children develop healthy habits and focuses on physical activity and nutrition. Our project provides repairs needed at the center’s playground and establishes a garden consisting of raised beds.
The playground area and equipment must pass safety inspections, and several of the outdoor benches and picnic tables are dilapidated. The old benches, picnic table, and rail ties will be replaced providing the children with a safe, outdoor space to enjoy healthy snacks and socialize. The project would also replace broken swings, basketball hoops, climbing ropes, and purchase new balls to provide the children with opportunities for physical activity and outdoor play. We would also replace mulch to keep fall areas safe. The second part of the project establishes a garden. The center has property designated for a garden, but hasn’t been able to establish one due to funding. Our project will establish the garden by providing fencing for the area, labor to install the fence, raised bed for planting, garden tools, and soil and seeds for an initial planting. The children, with volunteers and staff, will maintain the garden.
- This is the Club’s: Primary Project Application
- Expected Start Date: 8/1/2018
- Expected End Date: 4/15/2019
- Expected Number of Beneficiaries: 150
- Describe how the project will benefit the community and/or improve the lives of the less fortunate: Our project supports West End Center’s Wellness program which helps children develop healthy habits that will serve them well throughout their lives and help them achieve good health outcomes. It includes daily snacks and meals, a variety of physical activity, and classroom instruction with an emphasis on nutrition education. They learn about basic food groups and how to make good choices about eating.
Children who attend West End Center are disadvantaged and primarily African Americans. The highest rates of obesity occur among people living in poverty with low education levels. Also, African Americans have the highest obesity rate in Virginia. Clearly, the populations of children who attend West End Center are at high risk for obesity and its related diseases and benefit from prevention programming.
The improvements to the playground support physical activity and the center’s exercise programs. The benches and tables provide the children with safe, outdoor space to socialize and enjoy their healthy snacks.
The new garden area will help the center teach the children about heathy foods, how to produce food, and trying new foods. The garden will also provide the children with physical activity through gardening.
The project and the partnership with the West End Center serve Rotary’s Focus of saving mothers and children.
- Estimated Total Project Volunteer Hours: 182
- Describe the Rotarian hands-on activities in the project (i.e. non-financial participation): Although many items must be professionally installed due to safely regulations, Rotarians will help prep the playground area for the new mulch and equipment by cleaning up the area and pulling/spraying leaves. Rotarians will remove old rail ties, benches, and tables. We will spread new mulch and install rail ties. We will prep the garden area by clearing out debris, cutting back brush and spraying and pulling weeds. We will assemble the raised beds, fill the beds with soil, and assist with the planting of vegetables. Rotarians will also have the opportunity to volunteer tutoring time to the students.
- Describe the publicity plan to inform the general public that this is a Rotary sponsored project: The West End Center will use signs to display the Rotary Wheel prominently in the playground and garden area to acknowledge Rotary’s contribution. We will provide a press release for our local newspaper’s community segment. The project will be promoted on both Roanoke-Downtown’s and West End Center’s Facebook pages with pictures of Rotarians in Action and progress reports. The club’s website will showcase the project as well. The project will be listed in West End Center’s Annual Report.
- Cooperating Organizations – Please list each cooperating organization, if any: The West End Center for Youth is a 501C organization headquartered and operated in Roanoke, Virginia and provides various services for at-risk youth through after school and summer programs. West End Center is endorsed and supported by United Way. By signing this application, the Rotary Club of Roanoke-Downtown endorses the West End Center as a reputable and responsible organization.
- Letter(s) of Participation: Participating Organziation Letter West End Center.pdf
- Project Expenditure Budget – list detail uses of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: See Budget Upload
- Project Funding Budget – list detail sources of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: See Budget Upload
- Budget Upload:E- DG2015-Budget-Template-3 West End Center.pdf
- Primary Contact Name: Karen Rose
- Primary Contact Rotary Position: PE
- Primary Contact Email: kr7213@verizon.net
- Primary Contact Phone: 540-309-9139
- Financial Contact Name: Richard Hedley
- Financial Contact Rotary Position: Treasurer
- Financial Contact Address:
- Financial Contact Email: rhedley@cbh.com
- Financial Contact Phone: 540-342-6911
- District Grant Project Authorization LetterProject Authorization Letter West End Center 2018-2019.pdf
- Grant Number: 1819-23
- Grant Award: $4,000.00
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