Our community was there when we needed it the most. We could not have survived the past year without the support of our donors, partners, and neighbors including so many of you. The grants from foundations and state organizations were invaluable in enabling us to support our staff and the individuals and families in our care. Without the PPP loans, we would have had to lay people off. The donations from businesses and individuals like you enabled us to provide for people in need in our community through our Youth Outreach programs and scholarships.
Our community is counting on us to be here in the future. There is a youth mental health crisis going on in our community, region, state, and nation. We have children in our care, as young as elementary school, who have threatened suicide and self-harm. Over 40% of our students at the Rockdale Youth Center have diagnoses of anxiety or depression, that doesn’t include the many who are undiagnosed or the countless adults and seniors who are also suffering in our community. To provide a safe and healthy environment for everyone at the WCC, we must also improve our infrastructure and expand our programming. In less than 2 years, we will turn 100 years old.
Many have said that the WCC and its Blackstone Valley Children’s Place, Youth Outreach, and Camp Whitin staff and programs are gifts to the community. I couldn’t agree more. This is why we must continue to raise money.
Thank you for being there when we needed you the most. We ask for your continued support to be here in the future for the people who need us and to continue to make our whole community resilient – physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Sincerely,
Heather Elster
Heather Elster
Executive Director
