Local group hopes to build new building for East End United Community Center
The Rev. Howard E. Dantzler Sr. remembers when 50 to 60 students, even those in high school, would come to the East End United Community Center four days a week for after-school tutoring with 32 college students who volunteered their time. It was overcrowded and almost every room in the EEUCC – an inconspicuous old light blue house on East Main Street – was used, but it helped youths improve their grades in school.
“Education is the key. There’s a lot of apathy in the poor community. This gives the kids a new perspective,” Dantzler, a retired Penn State professor and EEUCC board member, said. “You can’t get through life without education. Give a kid a tool that will help him succeed. Education is a means to acquire hope.”
Those bustling days were 20 years ago and Dantzler and other board members now worry about how much longer they can continue to run the center.
The after-school program now tutors about 20 children from kindergarten through fifth grade only two days a week.
A few tutors and a teacher are now paid and children have been turned away from the program because of the small staff and outdated building.
The EEUCC receives operating funds from the United Way and a Fayette County drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, but not enough to hire more staff and expand the program.
Board members said a modern new building for the center is needed to expand the program.
The board is seeking grant funds to building a new center on property it purchased with some of its own money and funds from the City of Uniontown’s Community Development Block Grant program.
Board Chairman Kenneth Johnson said grants for building such a center are difficult to obtain and have been even harder to come by since 9/11.
“Funds for brick and mortar are hard to acquire,” Johnson said. “We can’t have a good programs without good space for them. We’ve had to turn kids away due to lack of space. If we ever have to shut down, it would be a crime. We need financial support from the community. We need money to keep this going. We’re already cut down to two days a week.”
“We had a choice,” board member Joan M. Tracy said. “We could either quit or cut down. There are enough kids here for a larger program. A K-12, like we used to have, is needed.”
The after-school program, which includes dinner for the children, will end soon and be replaced by a summer program.
The summer program begins with two hours of academics followed by arts, craft, music and other cultural activities four days a week. It includes breakfast and lunch. Fridays are reserved for field trips. Children from all parts of the county participate in the program.
Along with classrooms, the old house has a library and a computer lab.
The housing authority provided four of the computers through its drug and alcohol program and Fay-Penn Economic Development Council donated two. Fay-Penn also provided a $25,000 grant a few years ago for furniture and other equipment.
Small grants from local organizations and foundations also help keep the EEUCC running.
However, Tracy said the old house is not conducive to learning.
“We need a bright, cheerful place and tell them this is what you can do,” she said. “I would like to have successful people from this community come and talk to the kids. We’ve seen many children come through here. Some have done very well. Our kids are like other kids. They want nice things and they want to learn. Maybe they feel apathy from their parents. We show them there are things other than crime.”
The EEUCC has the property and building plans for a new center. It owns a half-acre, which is comprised of five lots, on Coolspring Street.
The center bought two of the lots and the Uniontown Redevelopment Authority purchased three demolished old buildings with CDBG money.
Authority Executive Director William Long said $32,000 in CDBG funds was spent on the purchase and demolition.
EEUCC acting Director Barbara Mitchell is working on a grant application to a foundation in hopes of securing enough money build a new center on the property.
The center has been operating since 1975 and moved into its current location in 1981.
Johnson said he was surprised recently when he heard about other efforts to start programs for East End children.
Jumonville is preparing a grant application to start an education and faith-based program there, while Tina and the Rev. Thomas Whitehead have been running an after school program at Calvary United Methodist Church for three years.
Mrs. Whitehead wants to build a community center in honor of Michael Ellerbe who was shot and killed by state police while running from a stolen vehicle on Christmas Eve when he was 12 years old.
The Whiteheads befriended Ellerbe, who attended the program at the church.
Johnson said the EEUCC has been around a long time and hopes the community supports it.
“We started with just a few tutors. We saw the need many years ago. Our children were falling behind in school. Without some help they’re lost,” Tracy said.
Johnson said other tutoring programs in Fayette County that are run by other organizations got their start by hiring experienced tutors away from the EEUCC.
He said a community center is needed now more than ever to help kids stay away from drugs.
“We’re trying to beat the drug dealers. We need to get to them before the drug dealers,” Johnson said. “We lost one generation to the dealers and we’re not going to lose another. Smaller cities than this have nice community centers. We need a community center in this part of town. It’s time for churches and all races to get together.”