Guadalupe Center campaign aims to raise $24M

Helping more kids achieve higher education in Immokalee is the mission behind the Guadalupe Center's 2020 and beyond campaign.

HELPING MORE KIDS ACHIEVE HIGHEDUCATION- THAT’S THE MISSIONBEHIND THE GUADALUPE CENTER’S’2020 AND BEYOND CAMPAIGN.’THE GOAL IS TO HIT 24-MILLIONDOLLARS.THIS CENTER HELPS MORE THAN15-HUNDRED KIDS EACH YEARTHROUGH THEIR EDUCATIONALPROGRAMS IN IMMOKALEE.FOX 4 SANDRA RODRIGUEZ TALKED TOTHE PRESIDENT OF THE CENTERABOUT ITS MISSION, ITS PEOPLE,AND THIS BIG GOAL.LL INTRO:IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEED OF THEIMMOKALEE COMMUNITY, THEGUADALUPE CENTER TELLS ME IT ISEXPANDING...THROUGH THE 2020 AND BEYONCAMPAIGN IT PLANS TO HELP NEARLY2-THOUSAND KIDS EVERY YEARTHE GUADALUPE CENTER HAS BEENOFFERING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TOCHILDREN IN IMMOKALEE SINCE THE’90s SOME AS YOUNG AS 6-WEEKSOLD...THE GOAL IS TO GET THEMKINDERGARTEN READYSOT(DAWN MONTECALVO, PRESIDENT,GUADALUPE CENTER):"Immokalee is an impoverishedcommunity and our students livein homes where English is thesecond language, so they’rebehind when they get intokindergarten."RIGHT NOW THE GUADALUPE CENTER’SEARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATIONPROGRAM IS OPERATING AT FULLCAPACITY AND HAS A WAITLIST OFMORE THAN 500 KIDSSOT(DAWN MONTECALVO, PRESIDENT,GUADALUPE CENTER):"There are studies that shthat children who live inpoverty and English is a secondlanguage, by the time they’reyears old they have a 30-millionword gap to their peers inmiddle-class homes."TO HELP FILL THIS GAP━ THEGUADALUPE CENTER IS EXPANDING BYOPENING TWO MORE LOCATIONSSOT(DAWN MONTECALVO, PRESIDENT,GUADALUPE CENTER)"The Monaghan family campus willbe opening in April this year toserve 64 children, ages 6 weeksto 3, which is our greatestneed."THE SECOND IS THE VAN OTTERLOOFAMILY CAMPUS OPENING BY NEXTSPRINGEARLY DONATIONS MADE THE TWO NEWLOCATIONS POSSIBLE BUT THE24-MILLION 2020 AND BEYONDCAMPAIGN WILL HELP KEEP THEMRUNNINGSOT(DAWN MONTECALVO, PRESIDENT,GUADALUPE CENTER)"The campaign 2020 is focused onraising funds to cover thecapital expenses, as well asoperating expenses, and creatingan endowment so we can ensurethat these programs will lastinto the future for manygenerations."THE CENTER ALSO PROVIDES AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS UP TO SECONDGRADE AND HIGH SCHOOL TUTORINGPROGRAMBUT THAT’S NOT ALLSOT(DAWN MONTECALVO, PRESIDENT,GUADALUPE CENTER)"We have a partnership with theUniversity of Florida DentalClinic through the NaplesEducation foundation where adentist comes in quarterly andthey get their teeth cleaned andcheckups."LL TAG:MONTECALVO SAYS THERE ARE MANYWAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THEIRCAMPAIGN WE’LL HAVE ALL THATINFO