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The Urbana Youth Center received $86,000 in donations in December as part of its ongoing fundraising efforts.

These contributions come entirely from non-public sources and will be used for operations of the center.

“These donations fill a critical need for UYC and ensure full funding of our programs well into 2024,” said Justin Weller, executive director and founder of UYC.

Weller said $25,000 was received from Bundy Baking Solutions as part of a new multi-year commitment to UYC; $16,000 was donated by the American Legion and $45,000 was contributed by The Dayton Foundation, a new donor to the UYC.

“We were fortunate to be able to embark on a new relationship with The Dayton Foundation and gave a tour in November to one of their members,” said Weller. “We had only made it about two thirds of the way through the tour when they stopped me and shared they were ready to make a commitment to fill the gap we experienced unexpectedly in June of this year.”

Robert Appenzeller, Jr., advisor to the R.C. Appenzeller Family Endowment Fund of The Dayton Foundation, visited UYC and said: “The work being done at the Urbana Youth Center is so evidently needed in the Greater Dayton area and, specifically, in Urbana. My sister and I are thrilled to partner with UYC and support their work in honor of our parents through this fund. We hope public institutions take notice of the private sector’s steadfast commitment to successful public charities like the Urbana Youth Center.”

In June 2023, the Mental Health, Drug, and Alcohol Services Board of Logan and Champaign Counties (MHDAS) did not approve the UYC’s request for another $40,000 in funding.

MHDAS had contributed at that level in 2022, Weller noted.

“UYC is very fortunate that The Dayton Foundation was sympathetic to this situation we found ourselves in and offered to help straight away,” Weller said.

The Urbana Youth Center publishes a financial report on its website along with a current copy of its policy and procedure handbook, which UYC says is the basis of staff and volunteer training.

UYC is a 501(c)(3) public charity because of its governance by the GrandWorks Foundation. Public charities are required under federal law to file annual Form 990 reports with the Internal Revenue Service which members of the public can examine.

“Transparency is a fundamental part of what we do at UYC. We responded to feedback from different public entities in the community to increase easy access to this information,” Weller shared. “Unfortunately, that did not translate to more involvement from those public entities. While we hope that public entities will someday seek to meaningfully engage with UYC, we remain committed to serving our students no matter the hurdles we might face and we’d ask local citizens and businesses to continue supporting us in the work we do.”

UYC provides free membership to its 700-plus registered student members in grades 6-12 who attend or live in the Urbana City School District. Services offered by UYC include homework and study assistance, meals and take-home food, hygiene products, art programs, hangout spaces, and numerous other programs.

To learn more about UYC, the staff encourages people to stop by its location at 160 West Market Street in downtown Urbana or visit the website at UrbanaYouthCenter.org.

Information from Urbana Youth Center