DAKOTA CENTER INC
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Mission Statement
Build Character -- Connect Community
About This Cause
What we do. Our work is to build character and connect community by focusing all our programming with respect to educating the whole person-mind, body, and spirit: The Mind through literacy and skills, the Body through health and wellness and the Spirit through faith, hope and charity. We engage in noble and holy work each day. We average 65 people each day of service and we average 292 days of service a year. So we touch a human life almost 19,000 times a year. $0.87 of each dollar is invested directly in programming with only $0.13 going to overhead expenses. High touch and low cost helps us focus on educating the whole person in a cost efficient manner. The goal in all we do is to help those reach their fullest human potential. The Founding of The Dakota Street Center The guiding light of the Dakota Center remains our founder Fr. Philip Hoelle, SM (1912-2005),. Father Hoelle, a Marianist priest, believed in serving others. He listened rather than preach, encouraged people to meet their potential and treated, the great and the small, with dignity and respect. Fr. Hoelle embodied the essence of lifelong learning . He combined his passion of learning with the wisdom of virtue in the service of others. In between being the first Marianist Librarian at UD and a founding member of Bergamo Center for Life Long Learning, Father Hoelle established the Dakota Street Center. In 1965 on the west side of Dayton, OH, he turned to Bill Hoben, the Dean of the School of Business at the University of Dayton for funds to initiate a community center for the young children of the MacFarlane neighborhood located on the inner west side of Dayton. Father Hoelle, a benefactor and fund raiser, remained active in the Dakota Center until his death.. Father Hoelle used his talents of patience, listening and encouragement to bring various and diverse people together to serve the community of the MacFarlane neighborhood. One of his favorite sayings is an old Irish Christmas Eve greeting: “In my window a little light is always burning for you. The arms of a friend are waiting.” This little light first showed forth shining against the darkness of the 1960’s civil rights riots in American and Dayton was ground zero. Father Hoelle followed closely the Marianist communities’ social justice principles throughout his entire life and those eternal principles still guide us today. We, the current stewards of Father Hoelle’s little light, invite you to walk along side us in this noble and holy work. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” –John 1:5 PROGRAMS After School – The Homework Club, a results based, data driven after school program, is open to K-8 students in Montgomery County. Our objective is to help students succeed in school by providing a safe, fun, and productive learning environment. Our focus is on early childhood literacy skills and character development through enrichment, nutrition, and recreation activities. Senior Adult Program – Our senior program focuses on people, ages 55 and older. The program is designed around the importance of them maintaining a quality, independent living environment. We focus our programming on their physical, emotional and spiritual needs to age in place with dignity. Summer Enrichment Camp – It provides six weeks of 8am to 3pm, M-F, filled with evidenced based activities centered on preventing the “summer slide”. Also, our camp provides swimming and a unique field trip experience each week of summer camp. Each day our camper gets a cold breakfast, am/pm snack, and a hot, healthy lunch. Camp runs mid-June to late July. Registration opens late April. Mission: Building Character – Connecting Community Vision: Leading Center in Dayton to consistently build community across generations. Core Values: 1. Educate the whole person 2. Provide a safe and trusted environment 3. Serve with charity 4. Awaken full human potential