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HOME ~ NEWS/EVENTS ~ June 16, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2009

Female Leadership Interest Council (FLIC®) challenges community to Pay it Forward


Girls, Inc.WORCESTER _ Deborah Penta, founder of FLIC® (Female Leadership Interest Council) is issuing a financial challenge to the Worcester community. FLIC has offered a $1,000 leadership grant to Girls Inc. of Worcester. The grant is earmarked for the organization’s camp and summer programs, which are currently struggling financially and in need of $15,000 by June 23.

 

“At Girls Inc., we knew that the economy and the prolonged school year would present us with major challenges in planning our summer programming, so we reduced the number of weeks for programming at Winthrop House (inner city camp) to seven weeks, and at Camp Kinneywood (rustic setting just outside the city) to five weeks. We’ve been forced to raise prices and knew that families were going to struggle to pay, so we increased our efforts in the fundraising area to provide more scholarships than ever before,” said Cathi Coridan, executive director of Girls, Inc. “Last week we provided a 45 percent match to the Village at Cambridge’s $5,000 grant from Planting the Seed Foundation, to support 10 campers per week for five weeks to attend Camp Kinneywood. In May, we awarded full scholarships to 14 children in shelters and foster care, and offered 41 children partial scholarships for $50/$74 and $100 per week, for up to seven weeks of programming.”

 

However, Coridan soon found out that her fund-raising efforts, which totaled almost $22,000 (Girls Celebration Event held on June 11, Camp Appeal and small fundraisers) just were not enough, due to the fact $20,000 had already been awarded.

 

“To date, only 22 individuals who were offered partial scholarships have accepted these funds; 11 are pending, with families hoping to get additional funding, and eight who have declined because they cannot afford to fund the balance,” Coridan said. “Dozens of parents have told us that they did not apply for financial assistance because they knew they could not afford to pay the balance. Girls Inc. wants to do more to assist these children and families, but, in this difficult economy, we just don’t have the funds to do it ourselves.”

 

“Our families are expressing their disappointment every day about their inability to send their children to our program. Our staff have made personal calls to over 100 parents whose children are or have been part of our program - most have said that they are not coming this summer. Their reasons: it is too expensive; they have been laid off or lost their jobs; the children are staying at home or with relatives to save money; they are going to Friendly House or the Boys and Girls Club where grant and endowment funding allows them to keep weekly fees at $25 and $35,” Coridan continued. “We want to be more generous and provide sufficient funding for families to afford our program for their children - for at least a week or two. Girls Inc. wants to tell the kids that the community wants them to succeed, now more than ever.”

 

Penta’s non-profit organization, FLIC, was founded on the principles of female leadership, mentoring and the belief that when you can help someone else succeed, you personally grow and prosper. Penta believes that FLIC provides women with a place to Pay it Forward for one another and for the community.

 

“Especially in challenging economic times,” said Penta. “Organizations that share a common link should help one another through collaboration, shared wisdom, resources and support.”

 

She believes in the mission of Girls, Inc., and hopes that by leading the way with a grant to the organization that others in the Worcester community will do the same and help to Pay it Forward.

 

“I feel for the parents who worry about whether they can send their kids to camp,” Penta said. “Times are challenging and as a community, we need to help in some way, whether large or small – it all makes a difference. This nonprofit to nonprofit support from FLIC is done with the belief that we have to open doors for each other in order to open the doors for the children and inspire them for a better tomorrow. By helping girls and women at each stage in the journey, we are supporting a brighter future for all.”

 

“We are grateful for Deborah’s generous leadership grant and advocacy on Girls Inc.’s behalf.  People of all ages need to have role models like Deborah who commit in both word and action to meet the needs of the children in our community – and THEN who take the extra step to ask others to do the same,” Coridan said. “We know it will inspire many in the community to be even more generous in their support for camperships for our kids.”

 

In 2008 Girls, Inc. of Worcester served over 1,900 girls and young women (and boys in the summer programs) ages 5-18, of families who reside in greater Worcester (83 percent live in Worcester).

 

“Girls, Inc. youth are largely from lower income families. Sixty percent live in poverty (family incomes under $25,000) and 66 percent of these families have annual incomes less than $17,000,” Coridan said.

 

Girls Inc continues to play a leadership role supporting the youth and families in Worcester. This year they have opened their pool to the city’s summer swim program and will again host Youth Net, the successful summer program for middle school youth, three evenings a week. 

 

“We have excellent facilities and resources at Winthrop House and Camp Kinneywood to contribute in a most meaningful way to the youth and families of Worcester.  However, to make this happen for our families, we need to raise another $15,000,” Coridan said.

 

For more information on Girls, Inc. of Worcester visit www.girlsincworcester.org and read Cathi’s blog for additional information. For more information about FLIC, visit www.femaleleaders.org.



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