“All I need is a chance.”
It sounds so simple, it’s practically a cliché. Yet at the end of the day, after reading memos, drafting proposals and working with community leaders, these six words, out of all the megabytes of information I consume each day, are what I remember most vividly.
Because I’ve been hearing them for years, and they never fail to inspire me, whether it’s from an at-risk teenager who wants a better life or a hard worker who wants to start her own business.
Even before the recent economic downturn, there have always been members of our community who are overlooked and underserved by the social and economic mainstream. Today, the number of people who seek our help is astonishing. That’s why our area of service has expanded from two counties to seven, as we work alongside community, corporate, and individual partners to shape a positive future for everyone in Central Florida.
While the historic mission of the Central Florida Urban League (CFUL) has been to empower African-Americans, we are here to help anyone and everyone overcome obstacles that keep them from reaching their full potential. Like the students who attend our after-school programs and work with mentors to help them improve their grades, so that they can succeed in college, the workforce, or the armed forces.
In order to meet the growing needs of our Central Florida community with the highest level of service and the most prudent use of funds, we’ve developed strategies in several key areas:
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First, the CFUL is working to stabilize our financial structure, to ensure maximum accountability and fiscal conservancy.
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Second, within two weeks of coming on board, I met with several community leaders to establish and strengthen community engagement. It’s vital that the Urban League expands its working partnerships with community, law enforcement, schools, and private companies.
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Third, I’ve proposed value-added corporate and individual investor fund development programs to raise the funds necessary to meet the growing demands of our community. We’re also looking into financial support from faith-based organizations.
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Fourth, we’ve identified several areas of missed opportunities in our youth programs that can be corrected by improving the delivery of contracted services and by internal departmental reorganization.
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And finally, we’re working to add more staff to our housing program that is currently understaffed and overworked. If appropriately staffed and funded, our housing program has the potential to generate revenue of more than $500,000.
None of our objectives are easy; times are hard for both the corporate and individual investor. Yet it’s precisely during these difficult economic events that the need for our professional social services is most critical. We’ve made so much progress for so many, and there are so many others who are desperate to turn their lives around and to become responsible, productive, positive members of our community. All they need is a chance. All they need is someone like the Orlando Magic, which is proving once again that they are team players in strengthening our community.
All they need is you.
Sincerely,
