On April 20th, the Leon County Children’s Services Council voted to approve funding for 17 programs, projected to cost over $1.7 million in taxpayer dollars for 2023 summer programs. See the list below.
In total, CSC Leon received 42 applications from 40 entities requesting funding in excess of $5 million across the two service lines. Each application was independently reviewed by external evaluators.
During the meeting, the CSC Council engaged in a lengthy discussion reviewing the presentations related to funding for learning and food service programs. Council Member Mr. Jones noted his concern that services may overlap in certain neighborhoods and communities. Mrs. Green stated, “There was just no way for us to plot the zip codes and the places so we’ve noted that for next year.”
The Council decided the majority of the funding will go towards learning services. Several council members stated concern over a lack of funding for food services. However, a large portion of the learning programs will provide food.
Ms. Green stated that she is “very proud” of the selections that were made. She went on to say that, “This year’s application cycle was more stringent in that we were clear about the threshold for the types of programs that we wanted, and the outcomes that we are wanting to expect.”
A public speaker, who was identified as a former director of the U.S. Department of Education, Upward Bound, stated, “70% of the children fail the reading test… that has been going on for 40 years. Parents can’t read, nor can their grandparents and the kinds of jobs that are available now for children to build wealth require them to be able to read.”
Also, the Council approved a $294,000 budget for Ms. Green to use at her discretion, with the requirement that she must use the funds to retain legal counsel when needed.
The next CSC Leon Governing Council Meeting will be on May 18th.
CSC Approves $1.7 Million in Funding for Summer Programs added by Tristyn Leigh on
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Correction: I did locate a registration for the BOYS & GIRLS CLUB of the Big Bend, but still not for Reach One Youth, Inc. It’s possible they are exempt from registration for some reason.
Per the FDACS Check-A-Charity, here is the break down of how Omega Lamplighters and Girls 2 Divas spend their money.
OL only spent 57% of its budget on its actual Programs and Services. G2D spent 64%.
Those figures are NOT good looks.
Compare them to:
> Big Bend Homeless Coalition: 94%
> Rotary Youth Camp of North Florida: 88%
> Pace Center for Girls: 82%
FYI, the 2 organizations below do not appear to be Florida registered charities, thus there is no accounting and they might not be in compliance with Florida law:
> BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS of the Big Bend
> Reach One Youth Organization Inc
The Community Socialist Council (CSC), and it’s tax redistribution scam/scheme, should be shut down immediately.
No money for uniforms for students in LCSO Title I schools?
The Nims Middle School principal needs to be on the CSC Board.
It’s easy to give away more free food. Every non profit and church in this town already does that.
My butt hurts all of a sudden…
Mr Ed does make a good point.
How many nonprofit food distributions centers do we need; they are probably setting them up as money laundering entities anyway? Taxpayers funds just goes to the directors to buy tickets to the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce yearly junket.
Again, shut this farce down.
What’s with the fascination with feeding these kids? Is that not what Moms and Dads are suppose to do? How many food programs do we taxpayers have to pay for due to irresponsible parents? Isn’t there a law against Child Neglect? Is there ever a discussion of the ever-growing percentage of childhood obesity? Or the ever-increasing number of children with diabetes?
Oh wait; I think I just answered my own question… The Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex… can sell them pills to healthy people now can we…
WOW!
Quick, everyone to the trough! “Learning” is a service!
Whiplash makes an excellent point. Remember Snidely, that is $2,800 a month per “child”. Leon County schools spends a little north of $9k all year.
Where do I sign up? Do I start at Bethel?
3rd down on the list is The Omega Lamplighters. You can Google Omega Lamplighters Tallahassee and see what there is there to see. My concern is the money divided by the Minimum #To Serve: $211,617.45 ÷ 25= $8,464.70 per individual served. Exactly what is going to be done for these 25 young men? What is the percentage going to the young men and the percentage going to the Omega Lamplighters? Also do we have any Omega Lamplighter members on the CSC Board?
There are other high dollar figures on the table that The Good Citizens of Tallahassee could use such a breakdown of the funding per number served in regards to what is being done by the organization and how much is retained by the organization.
There are over 29 of you all on the Board plus any Staff and you are paid a LOT, you all SHOULD be Full Timers so, WHY were the applications independently reviewed by external evaluators?
The overhead expenses, failing to account for expenditures, not tracking results of their expenditures, makes this entity a taxpayer boondoggle and farce.
If this is going to be a legitimate enterprise and not a Democratic Party game to use a non-profit for political schmoozing this should be managed under the city and county CFOs offices where accountability could be better managed and all overhead would go away. Otherwise shut it down!