Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
April 17, 2002
Catholic Charities program links businesses with Head Start
Adopt-a-Classroom program provides school access to low-income students
The Childcare Division of Catholic Charities of Denver has developed an "Adopt- a-Classroom" program designed to create and build a mutually beneficial relationship between their Head Start program and Denver businesses.
Created last year by Family Service worker Erin O'Donnell, it has already enjoyed early success, receiving support from businesses such as EON Office Products and Aetna Insurance.
Through this program local businesses adopt a classroom for one program year by making a tax-deductible donation. All Adopt-a-Classroom participating businesses have the same collaboration opportunities regardless of the donation category chosen. Three donation options are offered:
•Silver Donor - $1,000 tax-deductible donation;
•Gold Donor - $2,500 tax-deductible donation;
•Platinum Donor - $5,000 tax-deductible donation.
Catholic Charities selects which classroom will be adopted. Representatives from the company meet with center staff to learn more about the needs of the classroom and the children and their families. A plaque is placed in the entrance of the classroom stating which company has adopted it and the company is recognized in the Catholic Charities newsletter.
In the case of EON, their office adopted the Mi Segunda Casa Head Start preschool classroom in January. Their involvement in the program has enabled two low-income, 3-year-old students to receive transportation to Mi Segunda Casa.
One boy, with gross motor and speech language delays, had just moved to Denver. The Head Start center near his home was overenrolled and he wasn't going to be able to receive services there for the foreseeable future. With their donation, however, Mi Segunda Casa was able to hire the American Red Cross to transport him to school. He is currently a full-time student in there and is making daily progress with the help of their on-site specialist.
Catholic Charities also was able to provide services to a boy born with serious respiratory problems. His lung condition had forced him to remain at the hospital for the first year of his life. An Individual Education Program was provided for him there, but he needed interaction with other children outside of the hospital setting. Unfortunately, the Medicaid program that took him to and from the hospital could not be used for non-medical reasons.
As Mi Segunda Casa works with his mother to get the family car fixed, they have been able to use EON's donation to hire transportation for him to attend school. Although he still receives oxygen treatment before and after school, he is able to go to pre-school like any other child. A specialist in the classroom has helped him work through his attention span and coordination delays, and they say his future is bright.
Involvement such as EON's has made the program a success, administrators said. In addition to their financial contribution, the company recently donated a storage cabinet and is planning a school supplies drive in their office.
Other opportunities to get involved, program administrators said, include volunteering in the adopted classroom, collaborating on special projects, and supporting individual families from the classroom.
Catholic Charities is eager to expand the program to its other Head Start Classrooms, administrators said. For more information, call Peter Newell at 303-308-1420, Ext. 123.
Contact Us
