The Present

CENTER is an all-volunteer organization, having no paid staff. The Board of Directors is currently comprised of the Senior Pastor of Pines Presbyterian Church, Reverend Doctor Wayne C. Eberly, Mark Trotter, and Jeffrey Heath, the Chief Financial Officer of Mac Haik Automotive Group. Initial funding is provided by a monthly benevolence donation by Pines, and public donations have been received from individuals.

Funds are used to provide food for Tuesday night dinners at the Boys' and Girls' Bible Study Programs, and for supplies needed for recreational activities at the Tuesday night events. Weekend trips to area restaurants to practice application of life skills are taken at least once per month, for which donors' funds are utilized.

Volunteers with a variety of educational and vocational backgrounds provide supervision during the Bible study programs, assistance with homework, and counseling about future opportunities.

Training expenses will also be incurred, not only for essential training required for adults interacting with youth, but also spiritual and educational training for CENTER's volunteers to allow them to provide the most rewarding experience possible to CENTER's youth.

An internet web address, CENTER-Ministries.org, has been reserved and a website is being populated. Expenses to maintain this website, including professional webmaster functions, will be incurred. A PayPal™ account has been applied for, which is believed will constitute the source of the majority of CENTER's donations from the public.

The Future

While residents of apartments in the Sherwood community north of Interstate 10 in West Houston are the original and primary participants in CENTER's activities, there are other nearby apartment complexes in West Houston whose residents and management have expressed an interest in participating in CENTER's activities. In particular, residents at apartments on Bateswood Drive in West Houston attend Stratford High School with current CENTER participants from Sherwood and represent a natural area of growth. It is CENTER's goal to be able to expand its Tuesday night activities to include all interested youth, without regard to where they live.

Another longer-term goal of CENTER is to support the rent for a couple who will serve in an apartment ministry living in the Sherwood and eventually, the Bateswood communities. Ultimately, these apartment ministers may become paid employees of CENTER, living with the youth served by CENTER and ministering in their daily lives. Existing apartment ministers who are on staff of other religious organizations may be supported through gifts from CENTER as an interim step prior to employing CENTER's own staff apartment ministers.

To accomplish these dreams, additional donors and volunteers will be required to support not only the meals and activities, but also increased transportation needs. Tax exempt vehicle donations will be an attractive alternative to volunteers providing transportation with their personal vehicles.

Another longer-term goal is a permanent and safe facility where CENTER's youth can congregate and study, away from the temptations and distractions of their neighborhoods. An unusual grant of real property may provide this asset, with public contributions to be sought to defray future property management expenses.