LOUISVILLE, KY–The Gheens Foundation recently awarded St. Vincent de Paul Louisville a grant for $80,000. The Gheens Foundation’s generous gift will fund programming for the Family Success Center, which provides quality, out-of-school time programs for disadvantaged children.
“I am confident Edwin and Mary Jo Gheens would be most pleased to know their legacy of compassion for at-risk individuals and families is being perpetuated through the passionate mission of St. Vincent de Paul,” said Barry Allen, president and treasurer of the Gheens Foundation.
The Family Success Center opened in September 2014 on the former site of an SVDP Thrift Store, 1029 S. Preston St., on SVDP’s large campus in the Smoketown/Shelby Park area. Since then, children in grades kindergarten through middle school have received year-round, after-school tutoring and structured programming that includes cooking, art, chess, and a variety of sports and fitness options. The program is offered at no cost to participants.
The Family Success Center also operates an annual summer day camp for children from kindergarten through high school. Through a partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools, a three-week Homeless Education Summer Program begins today. Sixty children are registered.
St. Vincent de Paul will continue the summer programming throughout the end of July. Included is a special, two-week College and Career Readiness program for high school seniors, in which participants will receive help preparing for college entrance exams. Students also will take field trips to area colleges to receive guided tours and information.
“We want to thank the Gheens Foundation for their support,” said Jim Carrico, chair of SVDP’s board of directors. “The grant is important to us because it will help us expand opportunities for kids and their parents, which have become such a large part of our mission at St. Vincent de Paul.”
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