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The Cornell YOURS program connects low-income youth living in mobile home communities throughout Dryden, NY, with Cornell student mentors for four days of after-school programming every week throughout the semester. Over 80 inspiring, service-minded students volunteer their time by planning and facilitating engaging and educational enrichment activities. Youth build positive relationships with their mentors through field trips, hands-on experiments, art projects, and outdoor games.
This online giving campaign seeks to raise funds for the logistical costs of programming, including:
Transportation: To keep programs free and accessible for all youth, YOURS volunteers pick up youth at their homes and drive them to and from programming activities. Transportation costs (including gas and van mileage) constitute a high percentage of total program costs.
Application Processing: YOURS prioritizes the safety and well-being of all participating youth. Background checks are mandatory for all YOURS volunteer mentors, and unfortunately, these are costly. A large portion of funds raised through this campaign will be used to fund volunteer background checks.
Healthy, Free Snacks: At every program, kids receive a substantial and healthy snack to keep their bellies full and their brains powered. While the YOURS program sources much of this food through local donation centers, supplemental funds are necessary.
Goal: YOURS is undertaking our most ambitious fundraising goal yet: $5,000.00. These funds are essential for maintaining the health and longevity of this free program, which reaches an underserved and highly isolated portion of the greater Ithaca community.
Funding goals are detailed below:
Transportation: YOURS uses vans from Cornell Cooperative Extension. The typical cost for driving youth to and from program on one day is $25.00 per van. That’s about $1,800.00 every semester.
Application Processing: Background checks for new mentors cost, on average, $1,000-$1,500 in processing fees each school year.
Thank you for supporting YOURS! $5 can help support the activities of 1 child for 1 program day!
$10 helps to buy healthy snacks for one of the children in our program! We have yummy, nutritious snacks for every child every day of the week!
$25 helps our van rental and cost for one day, to make sure we can bring our kids to program and get them back home safely!
With program costs, snacks and transportation $50 can help support one whole day of program for 10 kids!
Our Application processing is one of our largest expenses, and a necessary one to maintain the safety of our kids! $100 helps to pay for 10% of that cost!
To keep programs free and accessible for all youth, YOURS volunteers pick up youth at their homes and drive them to and from programming activities. Transportation costs (including gas and van mileage) constitute a high percentage of total program costs. $250 dollars helps cover 2 weeks of program transportation costs!!
YOURS prioritizes the safety and well-being of all participating youth. Background checks are mandatory for all YOURS volunteer mentors, and unfortunately, these are costly. A large portion of funds raised through this campaign will be used to fund volunteer background checks.