Internal Proposal Naomi Porter

Porter,Naomi

Erie Regional Housing Development Corporation The Belle Center

www.thebellecenter.org
TO: FROM: DATE: RE: Nestor Hernandez, Executive Director Naomi Porter April 11, 2012 A proposal to create a clothing closet for any person enrolled in a program serviced at The Belle Center.

PURPOSE I propose the creation of the closing closet to provide clothing to participants of programs serviced in The Belle Center. The Belle Center is an organization that services individuals from many different countries. The variety of programs serviced in the Belle Center has suffered a significant lack of attendance which materializes as a decrease in revenue. To solve this problem, I recommend the creation of a clothing closet to service the needs of our participants. The clothing closet will result in a reduction in illnesses, an increase in program participation, and an increase in revenue for The Belle Center. The minimal expense of creating and maintaining a clothing closet will be worth the investment and help brand The Belle Center as a locus to the community. THE PROBLEM The Erie County Department of Social Service program and English as a second language classes offered at the center a give a profound opportunity to aid some of the neediest in our community. The need for seasonally appropriate clothing has become more evident as many people who enter our city are unaware of the drastic changes in our local weather patterns. In my tenure of working in the early childhood center, I have seen many children come during the winter months with a hoodie for a coat, sneakers in place of boots, even infants with no sneakers, boots, or snowsuits, but only multiple pairs of socks to shield their feet from the below 0 degree wind chill. As a result, many of these children obtain sicknesses that prohibit them from attending our center until they have been remedied. The early childhood center experiences a 40% decrease in attendance during the months of October, November, December, January, February, and March. This reduces the revenue for the early childhood center by $12,000 a month, in the instance perfect attendance is achieved. The day care unit of Erie County does provide 12 days of absences in a three-month period which payment can be received. However,

many of the children enrolled in the early childhood center are absent an average of 6 days per child each month. Within 2 months the 12 absences allotted would have been used. Therefore, absorbed from the organization are the costs of one work week for 12 full-time and 5 part-time child care staffers every three months. Children who are absent in the months of October through March is often due to illnesses. Parents in an effort to maintain their enrollment in the early childhood center will bring in doctors notes to explain the reasons for their childrens absences. Legally we cannot fill the vacant position with another child because an enrolled child became temporarily ill. Therefore, we are stuck with supplementing the loss revenue. Considering the significant decrease in attendance, one must incorporate the ending of summer recess and beginning of the academic school year. The population of the early childhood center changes in that children under the age of 3 are needed to fill each room to capacity. The 40% decrease in attendance and average days absent per month is reflective of 85% capacity of the early childhood center to keep within perspective a realistic estimate of revenue. A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM Creating a clothing closet will maximize the opportunity for the individuals and families we serve to fully utilize the programs in The Belle Center. The early childhood center at the Belle Center is responsible for all unrestricted funds for the organization. If we increase attendance during the months from October through March we provide for the betterment of the entire center. The clothing closet will provide all of the following: Sufficient clothing for program participants Opportunities for children to experience less illnesses Increase program attendance Create a stronger reputation of a helping hand toward advancement with The Belle Centers constituents. Increase in revenue for the early childhood center.

The implementation of the clothing closet is possible and would only improve upon the foundation of The Belle Center. Currently a table in the early childhood center entrance allows parents to donate previously used clothing to other children in need. This is insufficient to compensate for the number of absences, as in there is not enough clothing for all the children in need. An expansion of what has in-kindly happened would be the creation of the clothing closet. Despite fears child day care attendance enhances the transmission of infections among attending children, there are positive aspects of the day care experience that, from the standpoint of infectious diseases, directly and indirectly contribute to the childs well-being, (Sterne, Hinman,& Schmid, 1986)

COSTS The costs associated with implementing the clothing closet are minimal in comparison to the revenue gained. Currently the Belle Center has two vacant offices on the second floor across from each other. These offices can service as the space required for storing clothing for the clothing closet. In terms of staff one full-time staff person would be needed, my recommendation is that staffer comes from the Buffalo AmeriCorps program to reduce the expense of wages. The costs of hangers and clothing rods were retrieved from Wal-Mart. Below are the explicit costs associated with my proposal. Per year: 1 Full-time AmeriCorps Volunteer Set-up expenses: Hangers (60 pack $27.97 each x 5) Clothing rods ($26 each x 10) Desk, computer, & printer (currently in storage)

5,500

$ $ $ $

139.85 299.70 0.00 439.55

TOTAL COST

$5,939.55

Increase in revenue minus costs First year of implementation ($12,000 per month) $144,000 - $5,939.55 = $138,060.45 Each month after 1st year $12,000 - $458.33 = $11,541.67 As you can see the potential revenue does not compare to the cost of creating the clothing closet.

CONCLUSION The benefit of implementing a clothing closet is critical to support the families that enter into the Belle Center. It produces revenue for the organization while simultaneously appeasing the need of seasonally appropriate clothing for those in need. This proposal provides potential revenue of $11,541.67 each month for the organization, by decreasing unnecessary illnesses experienced by participants due to lack of clothing directly increasing their attendance in the early childhood center. I look forward to discussing this proposal with you at your convenience and addressing any questions that may arise.

References
Sterne, G. G., Hinman, A., & Schmid, S. (1986). Infectious Diseases in Child Day Care: Management and Prevention pp. 660. New York, New York: Oxford University Press