Duke Class Presents Funds Raised for Community Groups

Duke University students who are taking a course on grant-giving will announce on Thursday, April 27, those community groups whom the students have selected to receive awards.

The event will run from 4-5:30 p.m. at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church, 917 Onslow St., Durham. The public is welcome to attend.

The 24 students in the "Durham Giving Project" -- a half-credit, student-run course -- raised $10,700 this semester through two fund-raising events and personal appeals to friends and family. They solicited applications for grants from local nonprofit organizations and student groups. Based on criteria the class developed by studying social issues in Durham and by interviewing applicants, they selected 17 groups for funding.

The organizations, which will receive between $250 and $1,000 per project, are listed at the bottom of this release.

One organization receiving funding is the West End Community Center. It is being awarded two grants of $840 each for scholarships for four young people and four teenagers to attend its summer camp.

"We have a lot of kids who cannot afford to come to summer camp but who are enrolled in our free after-school program," said Juanita McNeil, a program coordinator at the center. "That's what we have applied for -- offsetting camp fees so that a child can be with us year-round and a parent won't have to worry about the fees."

She said the summer camp still needs further funding.

Margaret Andrews, a Duke senior who was one of three course instructors, said the class chose to study affordable housing, at-risk youth, health care and education. Students were given readings and presentations by leaders of local nonprofit groups as well as Duke staff and faculty.

"The combination of studying social justice issues in the classroom and also specific examples of organizations active in the community really helps to bring to life the Duke-Durham relationship," Andrews said.

The Giving Project course is in its fourth year. Organizations funded by this year's Durham Giving Project class are:

-- A New Day -- Big Brothers Big Sisters at Duke -- C.A.R.E. for Carter -- City of Durham Parks & Recreation Department -- Durham Community Land Trust -- El Centro Hispano -- Fencing and Leadership in Carolina Kids -- Forest View Elementary -- George Watts Montessori -- The Girls Club -- Lakewood Elementary School -- Morehead Montessori -- Quality of Life -- Self Help -- Urban Hope -- West End Community Center -- Youth Document Durham