The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCRA-R-24-0063 Exhibit CEXHIBIT "C" September 4, 2024 Mr. James McQueen, Executive Director Southeast Overtown Park West/Community Revitalization Association (SEOPW/CRA) 825 NW 2nd Avenue Miami, FL 33136 Dear Director McQueen, It is with great anticipation that we submit this proposal on behalf of the Overtown Optimist Club, Inc., also known as The Optimist Club. The Overtown Optimist Club respectfully requests support for the 2024-2025 (operating year) from our local Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to support our year-round programming which has made a meaningful difference in the Overtown community for 30 years. A continued investment from the SEOPW/CRA will aid us in sustaining jobs within Overtown and serving as a resource for our children and families. The seminal objective of the Club has been to create and sustain a safe haven for students and families during the critical out -of -school hours. The Overtown Optimist Club has a mission of increasing student and family access to affordable, inclusive, high quality youth development programming with an eye towards wellness. To achieve its mission, the Optimist Club activates a year-round out -of -school program model which serves as a safe haven for the Overtown community. The Optimist Club is grateful to have received support from the SEOPW/CRA for the last two years, this funding as propelled aided us in attracting new donors and to further stabilize employment of our 3-full-time and our 4-part-time staff, all of whom reside within the SEOPW/CRA catchment area. OVERTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, INC. 350 NW 12th Street Miami, FL 33136 P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 www.overtownoptimist.org 305.680.0430 info@theoptimistclub.org EXHIBIT "C" A quick look at the data for the 2023-2024 operating year highlights our impact. MEALS SERVED 16.480 Afterschool Spring Summer Average Cost Per Student S113.33 0000 0000 000. SERVICE DAYS 306 .• •. 0 diri) 2023-2024 PARTICIPANTS 160 Afterschool Spring Summer 240 Athletics 0 GENDER BOYS I GIRLS 50.2% 149.8 We believe that the mission of the Overtown Optimist Club is consistent with the broad vision of the SEOPW/CRA and hope that you will find fiscal alignment to support this longstanding Overtown program. If you have any additional concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. If you need any additional information, please don't hesitate to contact me via email at ihaynie@theoptimistclub.org or office phone at 305.517.6608 or cell 202.560.9829. Sincerely and respectfully, Ieshia Haynie Executive Director OVERTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, INC. 350 NW 12th Street Miami, FL 33136 P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 www.overtownoptimist.org 305.680.0430 info@theoptimistclub.org EXHIBIT "C" Overtown Optimist Club, Inc. Physical Address: 350 NW 12th St. Miami, FL 33136 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 Executive Director: Ieshia Haynie Email: ihaynie@theoptimistclub.org Submitted to SEOPW CRA September 5, 2024 PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE Overtown Optimist Club has a mission of increasing student and family access to affordable, inclusive, high quality youth development programming with an eye towards health. The Overtown Optimist Club Health and Wellness initiative has a two -pronged objective. The seminal objective of the Club has been to create and sustain a safe haven for students and families during the critical out -of -school hours. To achieve its mission, the Club activates a year-round out -of -school program model which serves as a safe haven for the Overtown community. In its 30-year history, the Overtown Optimist Club has successfully pivoted its hallmark, sports enthusiast programming, to include academic advisement, ensuring students are on track for on -time grade promotion and high school graduation. A key element within our programming is providing exposure opportunities which will provide students with skills to assist them in successfully navigating their post- secondary life experiences. Students join the Overtown Optimist Club, as early as four years of age, and continue through high school graduation and beyond. For decades, research has shown that the hours immediately after school when parents are unable to supervise their young ones and are the times when kids and youth are more prone to risky behaviors or to become victims of crime. Last year a report released by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids analyzed law enforcement agency and FBI crime data and was able to verify that the time between 2 pm — 6 pm during the school week are the peak time for juvenile crime. (Manheimer, 2019) COMPANY GOALS The Overtown Optimist Club embraces and encourages inclusion in all things — access, quality and opportunity. Our philosophy believes that children of all abilities have a right to equal access to and meaningful participation in education, employment, character education, and social emotional development. The Club provides services to students attending schools in Overtown including, Downtown Miami Charter School, Frederick Douglass Elementary, Phillis Wheatley Elementary, Paul Dunbar K-8, Jose de Diego Middle School Ninety percent of our students receive free and reduced lunch, and are grappling with the complexities of living in a community with concentrated areas of poverty. EXHIBIT "C" GOALS The Overtown Optimist Club has a two -pronged goal. The seminal goal of the Club has been to create and sustain a safe haven for students during the critical out -of -school hours. The Overtown Optimist Club has an inclusion goal which is to provide year-round academic and exposure enrichment for students living within Overtown and its surrounding areas. Our goal is to help kids of all ages develop healthy behaviors that lead to lifelong habits and wellness. We have found that young kids and teens benefit through enhanced self-image, which can transform how they see themselves and their trajectory in life. Data has shown that on average, 83% of our youth under age 8 are dealing with obesity issues. It's crucial that we design and sustain ecosystems which provide kids with the tools for a healthy future. Year -Round Deliverables: 1. an afterschool initiative; (includes homework assistance, academic and enrichment exposure) 2. a week-long spring break intensive; 3. an 8-week summer camp, 4. STEM Saturdays (monthly, during the school year) 5 Summer Youth Employment programming (through partnerships) 6. Athletic Programming (basketball, baseball, cheer, football, soccer) 7. Health & Nutrition programming (meal services during afterschool, spring break and summer) 7a. Community Health & Wellness Events (4x per year) 8. Annual College Tour 9. Transportation 10. Social Justice Campaign 11, Character Education (12-month series) 12. Health & Wellness Events (KidsFest) WORK LOCATION The Overtown Optimist Club has a primary location of Theodore Gibson Park, located at 401 NW 12th Street. A small percentage (2%) of our athletic practice programming occurs at Charles Williams Park, located at 1717 NW 5th Avenue Miami, FL 33136. GRANT MILESTONES: YEAR ROUND DELIVERABLES Afterschool Campaign Begins first day of School (August) Ends last day of school (June) Transportation Club Transporter picks up students from our participating schools. Transportation is also used in the summer and spring break for some fieldtrips. Spring Break (week-long) Week-long intensive which includes 2 field trips, academic studies, mindfulness, STEM, breakfast, lunch and snack, and enrichment activities EXHIBIT "C" Summer (8 weeks) 8-week long series which provides 2 field trips per week, academic engagement, which includes reviewing sight words and mastering grade level math facts, breakfast, lunch, snack and hydration, mindfulness, STEM, Zumba, music, South Florida Symphony and Faena Art STEM Saturdays During School Only (l x per month) Summer Youth Employment (20) High School students employed June — August as Camp Counselor and support Athletic Programming Basketball, Baseball, Cheer, Football and Soccer programming, the Optimist Club provides practice uniforms and game jerseys, transportation to/from games, hydration, insurance, end of season banquet Health & Nutrition Program Afterschool dinner and snack, Spring and Summer breakfast, lunch and snack daily Annual College tour (Spring) 25 participate in a week-long college tour, with at least one exposure trip for students. Social Justice Campaign (Summer) This campaign takes High School students on a mini -trip to DC to visit the Holocaust Museum and the African American Heritage Museum Smart N' Up University A 12-month character education series, delivered on a Monday of each month FUNDING CAMPAIGN The Overtown Optimist Club utilizes a braided funding stream to aid us in delivering our year-round goals and objectives, which include private donors, fundraisers, and serving as a subcontractor for the Depaitinent of Education and the Department of Agriculture. For the first time in its existence, the Overtown Optimist Club will apply for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant in 2023. Additionally, the Club intends to seek funding once again from the honorable Mayor Frances Suarez, City of Miami, and for the first time we'd like to seek funding from the honorable Miami -Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR (see addendum A) Using Movement, Play Sports and Nutrition to Educate and Heal EXHIBIT "C" 2024-2025 Overtown Optimist Club Year-round Program Budget Organization Name: Overtown Optimist Club, Inc. Date: September 2024 Grant Program: Health & Wellness Planning Using Academics, Athletics and Art to Educate & Heal Program Expenses: The following expenses support and sustain the Overtown Optimist Club afterschool, spring break and summer programming. Expenses - Line Item Grant Funding TOTAL EXPENSES Briefly explain line items. Health & Wellness Instruction $24,400.00 $24,400.00 Optimist Community Health & Wellness activities (quarterly events)hygiene kits, haircuts, swimming lessons, water safety instructors Academic Enrichment & Instruction $46,000.00 $46,000.00 which includes prevention, intervention and remeditation, 1-week of spring break, college tour curation,. 8-wk summer enrichment and exposure, Technology & Innovation $19,000.00 $19,000.00 Upgrade laptops and desktops which break down the digital divides which exist for students in our area.Increase classroom technology for service delivery Enrichment & Exposure Activities $28,000.00 $28,000.00 Fieldtrips and annual exposure opportunities like college tour, spring break, exposure instructors, athletics apparel) Transportation $21,600.00 $21,600.00 Transportation supports our daily, weekend and spring break usage of vans, the maintenance, gasoline, and commission bus services for fieldtrips Curriculum & Training $11,000.00 $11,000.00 Annual training and professional development; suicide prevention, Adverse Childhood Experiences, behavioral, mental health, abuse, drug and backgd Food & Nutrition (Daily Dinner/Lunch Svc) $30,000.00 $30,000.00 Daily and seasonal breakfast/lunch/dinner, snack and hydration as well as community events $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 TOTAL EXPENSES $180,000.00 $180,000.00 Health Wellnesss Initiative 1 2021-2022