A Note From the Director Quarter 1—2015

Inside this issue:

2

Save the Date 4

5

2014 Impacts

4,525 Meals served

838 People have been served through our food Pantry

190 Children served for Christmas

253 Assisted with school supplies and uniforms

2,935 Hours served by volunteers

Board of Directors

Dr. Doug Kolb, Chairman

Bob Roegner, Vice Chair

Mary More, Secretary

Jacquelyn Copeland, Treasurer

Alfred Riddick

Algernon Alston

Sidney Shearin

Rev. Stan Lewis

Christina Wells

Jodie Dowhan

Volume 11 Issue 1

Happy New Year!

I hope that 2015 has started as a wonderful year for you and your loved ones. The

beginning of a year is always a time of reflection & anticipation for me at The John 3:16

Center. I reflect on everything that God has done through so many wonderful people in

the last year so that we are able to share stories and information about those served.

Simultaneously, the work of putting into motion new things for the coming year begins

and we look forward to seeing the fruit of our work. I am also reflective currently

because I have just celebrated serving 10 years at The John 3:16 Center! It has been a

blessing to be part of this organization, to get to know the people we serve and the

many volunteers who give so generously of their time and talent, and to work on

engaging donors who have been a critical part of helping this organization grow.

Speaking of growth…you’ll see that the pages that follow are full of upcoming events,

highlights, and information. We have given information on some goals we have for

recreation, challenges for the GED program, an opportunity to share your thoughts,

recognition of volunteers, and much more! In response to requests, we have shared

information on our strategic plan, the goals, and ways in which we would LOVE to have

your help! We also received requests to share some of our ongoing program costs (not

just summer camp!) so that those who are interested can gain a better idea of how

funds are used throughout the year. A few programs are highlighted; we plan to provide

information on different programs in each issue of the newsletter this year.

Three board members have served their terms and left our Board of Directors; we

sincerely appreciate everything they have done over their years of service: Linda

Calisto, Rev. Joe Sandoval, and Barbara Eddy. We are thankful that they will still be

involved in other ways. Three new members have joined the board: Mary More,

Christina Wells, and Jodie Dowhan. We welcome and look forward to working with

them! There is still room on the board for you! Take a look at our strategic plan

information on Page 5; if you think you have skills and interests that could help us

accomplish these goals, contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk with our Board Chair.

Thank you for being responsive and helping us to meet the needs of and provide critical

opportunities for the children and families that we serve. Your donations, time, skills,

and prayers are greatly appreciated. Our prayer for you is that God bless you and help

you to grow spiritually as you give in the ways you are able to those who are less

fortunate. We pray that, in turn, God multiply our efforts, plant seeds of faith, and give

us the wisdom and discernment to be good stewards of that which we have been given.

Changes and growth are coming; it will be exciting to see and be a part of what He

does next here; please consider ways that you may want to be engaged!

Shannon McAllister Executive Director

Page 2

G.E.D. UPDATE Mary Ann Whittemore

Spring semester has started! There are three students

registered, so there is plenty of room for more! If any of

you have some good ideas for contacting and recruiting

more students in to class, please let me know! Under

“Community Happenings” in the Lake Gaston Gazette

every week, there is a GED notice that has generated

one student. There have been several calls from

interested students that want to attend classes but have

transportation issues. We want to keep the program at

The John 3:16 Center, but the college could cancel for

lack of participation. Help us enroll students and keep the

program!

Completing the GED program can be an excellent

stepping stone to achieving personal goals and adds to

one’s perception of self-worth. Though much can be

accomplished online, receiving the personalized

instruction available through this program can greatly

increase the likelihood of success when taking the tests!

Direct all inquiries about enrollment or your willingness to

offer transportation assistance to Mary Ann Whittemore

at The John 3:16 Center on Tuesday and Thursdays

between 11am-3pm, 252-586-1800

The Good News from The John 3:16 Center

John 3:16 Calendar of Events

Mark your calendar now and plan to join us for these

events!

Family Play Day Feb.11 11am-2pm

Community Input Meeting Feb.23 9am or 6pm

Work Day March 11, 10am-2pm

Child Abuse Prevention Month April (activities TBA)

Volunteer Appreciation Week April 12-18

Kid’s Carnival April 18, 11am-2pm

Golf Tournament Fundraiser May 1

National Day of Prayer May 7

Yard Sale May 23

Welcome to our newest board members:

Mary More, Christina Wells and Jodie Dowhan

Term: January 2015 thru December 2017

What’s Happening……………………………..

Recreation This year we would really like to be able to make the John 3:16 Center a central hub for recreation in our community. By early spring we would like to have all of our improvements finished for the playground, basketball court, and walking trail. Our goal is to provide a safe and inviting atmosphere where children and families are

able to enjoy their time together while being active and appreciating God’s creation. To accomplish this goal we need your help:

Developing an advertisement plan for recruiting volunteers and awareness of the Center

Building a volunteer base for after hour supervision (5pm-8pm weekdays, 3pm-8pm Saturday)

If you feel God leading you to be a part of this program please contact Shannon or Brittany at (252)586-1800 or care2001@earthlink.net.

Community Input Meeting February 23, 2015

9:00am and 6:00pm

With some excellent, but ambitious goals for 2015 at The John 3:16 Center, we want to hold a Community Input Meeting to encourage active community involvement in our programs and to gauge opinions that help facilitate those changes. We have planned a morning and an evening meeting to accommodate differing schedules. Please plan to attend one of these meetings and RSVP to care2001@earthlink.net Refreshments will be provided.

Page 3

Making the Connection……………………....

RSVP for the Volunteer Luncheon

Name: ________________________________

Phone number: _________________________

Nomination for volunteer of the year: _________

_____________________________________

Please RSVP with this information by calling Shannon or Brittany at (252)586-1800 or mailing this to: The John 3:16 Center P.O. Box 1541 Littleton, NC 27850

Volume 11 , Issue 1

Jeff and Jodie Dowhan recently retired and moved from Richmond to Littleton in July. Jeff was an engineer/project manager with Dominion Power and Jodie was a registered nurse with Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. They have two grown sons who still reside in Richmond. The Dowhans were active in children's ministries in their church when their sons were younger and really enjoy working with children. Since moving to Littleton, they were looking for ways to serve the community. The mission of the John 3:16 Center closely matches their own and they are excited about the volunteer opportunities that are available.

Volunteer Spotlight

Volunteer Appreciation

Luncheon

Friday, April 17, 2014

11am –1pm

Volunteers! Take a break and join us for lunch! The

table will be set… stop in for a while to enjoy lunch

and allow us to say THANK YOU for all that you do in

helping us achieve the mission of the center!

Volunteer of the Year We had such wonderful volunteers

in 2014!

We want the chance to thank you and

to recognize ONE volunteer for their

outstanding work at The John 3:16

Center. If you would like to nominate

an individual for “Volunteer of the

Year”, please call Shannon or Brittany at

(252)586-1800 or e-mail care2001@earthlink.net

Jeff & Jodie

Dowhan

Volunteer Opportunities

There are several ways that you can get plugged in this

year to help the John 3:16 Center serve our community:

Become a board or committee member– We

have several open positions on our board. If in looking

at the Strategic Plan document (pg 5) you find that you

have skills that would help us in these endeavors please

consider joining our board or serve as a community

member on a committee.

Wired for Success–Whether you have a special

topic or craft you would like to share with the children

for an occasional day, or you would like to make the

commitment to volunteer once a week, we would love

to have you. Currently, extra help is needed on

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:45-6:00. If one

of those times works well for you, please contact

Brittany for a volunteer application.

Administrative– With all of the programs going on

simultaneously, we need help tracking those programs,

and organizing that data. If doing this, greeting visitors,

and helping with the phones is something you would

enjoy, this volunteer position is for you!

After hours- We would like to be able to extend our

hours into the evening and would need volunteers to

supervise the grounds (weather permitting), especially

June-August. With enough help this could be split up

into once a week or once every two weeks.

Facility and Site Maintenance- Maintaining our

property is a big job; we could definitely use some help

in keeping up with this task. If you’re not interested in

helping long-term, check out the cleanup day coming

up in March!

Page 4 The Good News from The John 3:16 Center

Sponsors &

Golfers

needed

SAVE THE DATE

FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015

Chockoyotte country club

Releasing details SOON! Contact us, if you would

like to receive updates as they happen!

The John 3:16 Center

Annual Fundraising

Golf Tournament

We would like to say a big thank you to

everyone who assisted with our Christmas

Program this year. This includes donating

toys or funds, spending your time wrapping

presents, or helping out during the party.

You made a difference in the lives of the

190 children that we served, and for that

we

THANK YOU!

Cost of Programs

In response to interest about cost associated with

running various programs, I will highlight a few of these

in each issue of the newsletter this year. You may be

familiar with some, but not others. If you have any

questions regarding a particular program, or how

program and administrative cost relate for nonprofits,

please feel free to contact us! Let’s start with our

Budget. We currently have one-third of the amount

raised and the remaining two-thirds to be raised during

the year. Budget for 2015: $193,200.00

Here are a few programs and their costs:

Wired for Success Afterschool Program: $50 per child per wk. (15 currently enrolled) Distribution of Hygiene Kits: $10 per person served (334 served in 2014)

Food Pantry: $7,500/year, $30 per family served

Outdoor Recreation Approx. $7,250year

DONATIONS MADE IN HONOR OF:

Rev. Rusty & Sylvie Campbell, Kelly & Eva Ann King,

Barry & Beth Munson, Bettyanne Shearin, Esther Solo-

mon, Jack & Virginia Tant DONATIONS MADE IN MEMORY OF:

Floyd Hudgins, Rev. Paul E. Neuer, Charles R. Sasscer,

Jack Underwood, Robert & Urtie West

Page 5 Volume 11 , Issue 1

As many of you are aware, in mid 2014 a group of volunteers from our Board of Advisors, current and

former Board of Directors, current and former staff, parents, and youth formed a committee to develop

a strategic plan for CARE/The John 3:16 Center. We spent many hours crystallizing our Mission and

Vision statements, reviewing our strengths and weaknesses and defining our opportunities. As a result

of that effort, Objectives and Action Plans that are scheduled for completion over the next 5 years were

written and approved by the Board of Directors. We want to share these Objectives with you our

readers because your help is needed to accomplish them, they will usurp many of our volunteer’s hours

over the next five years, and you will be reading about these activities via this newsletter.

To begin, here is our revamped Vision Statement that emphasizes that The John 3:16 Center

is a Christian organization that is working to eliminate poverty and child abuse and highlighting

the engagement of the whole child and their caregivers.

C.A.R.E./The John 3:16 Center is a Christian organization seeking

to eradicate generational poverty and child abuse/neglect through

intentional engagement of the whole child and network of

caregivers.

In tune with this vision are a number of Objectives to be accomplished over the next five

years:

Create a defined Board structure

Increase the volunteer support from churches, parents, and our community.

Develop a comprehensive individual/corporate/church funding strategy

Evaluate all current programs and develop new programs in light of community needs

and The John 3:16 Center mission

Create an education/training plan for the Board

Develop and implement a personnel plan/policy for staff

Develop an integrated public relations plan

Develop and implement a facility/property management plan

So, how can you help? The Board would like to have each of our objectives assigned to a

specific committee of volunteers. Are you interested in helping developing corporate policies

and/or personnel policies? Have you ever worked in public relations or finance or fund raising?

Do you have some ideas for new programs or use of our facility/property? If there is an area

you have experience in, or just want to help, let Shannon know. We are ready to get started!

Important Notice: 2015 STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS

Yes, YOU Can BECOME A PART OF THE PLAN !

The center provides opportunities for parental and community

involvement in the lives of their children. We look forward to

continuing to realize this vision by providing the following

services through the center:

“Wired for Success” afterschool program

Programs and structured activities for children

Free Summer “CampJ316”

Enrichment programs

Outdoor recreation including a playground, basketball court,

walking trail, and volleyball

Referrals to services provided by local agencies

Parenting classes and workshops

Recognizing & Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect classes

G.E.D. and Literacy classes

AA Meetings Mondays at 7pm

Family Outreach (home furnishings, hygienic items)

Food Pantry

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quarter 1— 2015 407 EAST END AVE.

P.O. BOX 1541

LITTLETON, NC 27850

252-586-1800/1-877-240-CARE

FAX: 252-586-1801

care2001@earthlink.net

www.john316center.org

“For God so loved the WORLD, that HE

gave HIS only begotten SON, that

whosoever believeth in HIM should not

perish, but have everlasting LIFE.”

John 3:16

Visit our web site: www.john316center.org

and “like us” on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/john316center!

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The John 3:16 Center

Post Office Box 1541

Littleton, NC 27850

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

Littleton, NC 27850

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