Kokomo Urban Outreach needs community to help fulfill dreams, potential
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There is something powerful about knowing that 80 more children have found their way to a place where they can receive guidance, encouragement, and support. But there is also a responsibility that comes with those numbers, and it is one our entire community should take seriously.
Over the past eight weeks, Kokomo Urban Outreach’s UP Program has welcomed 80 additional young people through its doors. Think about that for a moment: 80 more children who need someone to believe in them, opportunities to grow, and a safe place where they can feel supported as they navigate life.
It costs approximately $2,700 to serve one child in the program for an entire year. With 80 additional children, that represents an estimated $216,000 in annual program costs.
Behind those numbers are real children with real dreams, challenges, and potential. They are not walking through the doors with money to cover the cost of their participation. They are coming because they need something that can make a difference in their lives. And the goal is not to turn them away because of what they cannot afford. The goal is to welcome them because their futures matter.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, Kokomo Urban Outreach has been blessed with additional space to accommodate this growth. However, more space and more children also mean a greater need for meals, supplies, mentorship, resources, and meaningful opportunities.
The UP Program offers much more than a place to spend time after school. Children receive dinner, snacks, and nonperishable food to take home, along with access to essential items such as hygiene products, clothing, shoes, coats, blankets, and laundry facilities. They also benefit from homework help, tutoring, reading support, career preparation, work experience, life skills classes, robotics, basketball, mentors, field trips, and family support.
One of the unique aspects of UP is its approach to earning and responsibility. Rather than receiving handouts, children earn points by working, showing up, and making positive choices. They then decide how to spend those points in the UP Store. Each purchase becomes a lesson in budgeting, responsibility, and the dignity of earning their own way. Some children even use their points to purchase items for their families at home.
Most importantly, young people are learning to become good citizens by being “Respectful, Responsible, Reliable, and Ready” to solve problems in positive ways. These are lessons that can carry into their homes, workplaces, and communities for years to come.
This is where our community comes in. Local businesses, organizations, families, and individuals who are financially able to give have an opportunity to invest in something that matters. Sponsoring one child for $2,700, making a monthly contribution, or donating whatever amount is manageable can help support this work.
We often talk about wanting our community to thrive and our young people to succeed. But those conversations must eventually lead to action. Supporting our children is one way to put those words into practice.
Kokomo Urban Outreach is not simply asking for help to keep its doors open. It is asking the community to help open doors of opportunity for young people who deserve a chance to discover their potential and build a brighter future.
To everyone who has donated, volunteered, prayed, and supported this work, thank you. Your generosity matters. But as the program continues to grow, so does the need for people willing to stand behind it.
These are our children. This is our community. And their future is a responsibility we all share. If 80 more children can find their way to Kokomo Urban Outreach in just eight weeks, imagine what we can accomplish when an entire community comes together to support them.
Please share this message, connect Kokomo Urban Outreach with a local business, or make a contribution if you are able. Every child deserves a chance. Together, we can help make that chance possible.