During the first week report of their month-long 16th Annual Community Support Campaign, The Youth Center in Los Alamitos successfully raised $36,988, with a goal of raising $100,000 by the end of their “30 Day Marathon Challenge” in March. Tuesday night’s campaign reporting meeting, “Asian Night,” was at the Youth Center.
The Youth Center is a non-profit that is solely funded through community donations, and all funds go directly for a free drop-in After School Program, scholarships for Summer Day and Teen Camps, Safe Rides Program, and the “Every 15 Minutes” bi-annual event.
“The campaign has started out fantastic because of the generosity of so many individuals and businesses in our community,” said Executive Director, Lina Lumme. “We are blessed to have so many people care about our kids, our future.”
President of the Youth Center’s Board of Directors, Debbie Kent, said the campaign is always fun, exciting and vital to raising funds for their programs. “Most of our contributors come back every year, and it’s great to see them,” she said. “It’s for our children, and it’s so important for our youth to have some place to go.”
The Presidential Round Table are campaign donors giving gifts of $1,000 or greater, which came to a total of $21,610 far. Some of these donors include Joe’s Premium Painting, Los Alamitos Medical Center, Jim and Shirley Bailey, Seal Beach Lions Club and Wendy O’Neal.
During the Youth Center’s first week report meeting, the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce attended along with several local business people. Councilman Troy Edgar and past Chamber of Commerce President, John Osborn were present to hear results of the campaign and to hear Youth Center Executive Director, Lina Lumme speak to a crowd of about 60 campaigners.
“If there is one thing I can tell the kids, it’s to reach for the stars and dream big,” said Lumme during a slide presentation about the Youth Center. The night also included games, a raffle, silent auction and Potato Bar organized by Youth Center Board Member, Beth Piburn.
Parent and guest speaker, Sharon Rutter of Long Beach, told how her daughter, Mia Campbell, 8, has been at the Youth Center’s Summer Day Camp for the last 4 years. “She loves that there are so many options of what to do, and yet she gets to do her own thing, having autonomy,” said Rutter. She also told how her daughter had a friend who couldn’t afford Summer Day Camp without the generosity of the Youth Center’s scholarship program that paid most of her and her brother’s way to it. “It’s been a really great place for Mia to grow, and I would say the same for Mia’s friends, too.”
“My son grew up here at the Youth Center, and it made him a more responsible citizen,” said Youth Center Board Member, Alice Melamed. “They helped him realize his full potential.” “Without the support of the Youth Center, I don’t know what he would be doing now,” she continued. “They instilled the same type of values I have as a mother.”
For more information about the Youth Center, please visit them online at www.theyouthcenter.org. If you are interested in making a donation or volunteering for their Community Support Campaign, the “30 Day Marathon Challenge.” call Youth Center Executive Director, Lina Lumme at 562-493-4043 or visit www.theyouthcenter.org.