Chambana Sun

The CommUnity Matters program has commenced its 16th year of providing youth services. On July 23, Community Development Specialist Shelby Mammano hosted partner agencies for a quarterly meeting. The following are updates on what the program partners are achieving with funding from the City’s Community Development Block Grant.

The Champaign Park District is preparing for Afterschool and School Out Days programming as the school year nears. They plan to market their programs in new ways, including attending community events like CNNC Live to register youth.

Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club currently has 78 active youth participating in summer programming, an increase from previous years. This summer's "Mall" theme has been successful, with each youth pod working together to build a store and design and market its products. Youth earn club bucks by participating in activities and achieving goals, which they can spend at other pod stores when the mall opens on July 31 at 4:30 p.m., where friends and family are welcome.

DREAAM is enthusiastic about its sport-focused program, DREAAM Elite. The football program will start at the beginning of August with practices on weekday evenings. Currently, 77 youth are enrolled, including 75 males and two females.

Unit 4 School District reported that Operation Hope achieved a 100% graduation rate for its enrolled seniors, with an average GPA of 2.2 (exceeding their goal of 2.0). They also achieved an 85% attendance rate, aligning with the state average and representing an 8% increase from last year.

This meeting enables Neighborhood Services staff to assist grant subrecipients in managing their programs and meeting regulatory requirements by providing tools and discussing best practices.

A picture provided by Unit 4 highlights the Operation Hope Senior Celebration Night.

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