BIDDEFORD — Last week, several of the children who attend the Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center summer program were at Pierson’s Lane Playground ”“ some playing on the playground equipment, and others working in the vegetable garden the children planted earlier this year, with the help of volunteers.
When volunteer Holly Culloton asked if anyone wanted to try one of the pea pods that were ready to harvest, several of the children ran over and began munching away on their veggie treat.
The children not only grow vegetables, but back at the Main Street center, they learn how to cook them and then enjoy eating the fruits of their labors.
The garden is just one of the activities that those attending Joyful Harvest get to do during the summer program. They also go on field trips, create art with the ArtVan program, as well as with an artist volunteer, play and get free lunch, which is provided by the Biddeford school district food services and funded by the USDA.
There are many happy, smiling children who are attending Joyful Harvest’s summer program ”“ 51 have registered ”“ said Executive Director Shay Stewart-Bouley, and their parents are grateful to have a safe place to send their children during the day. Joyful Harvest also provides after-school programing during the school year.
But the summer program almost didn’t take place.
In the spring, Stewart-Bouley sent out a notice that because of a lack of funding, Joyful Harvest would have to close all programs unless community members and others came to the rescue.
Some answered the call, however, and the summer program is in full swing. Stewart-Bouley said she also expects the fall after-school program to go forward.
However, unless additional funding comes in, Joyful Harvest, which provides a safe place for children ”“ many who are low-income and live in some of Biddeford’s most depressed neighborhoods ”“ may soon have to close its doors for good.
Because of the notice she sent about the potential closure, Stewart-Bouley said many of the small grants the center normally gets to help fund the organization didn’t materialize.
A change in the revenue stream is needed, she said, and Joyful Harvest, which was founded as a church mission, must change from its original model.
The organization, which only employs one other staff member beside herself, doesn’t have a large operating budget, said Stewart-Bouley. There’s no fat, she said, adding that the current budget of $83,000, which includes salaries, rent and other expenses, is low for the services provided.
To keep the center open, she said, she needs continuous and consistent support from the community. One avenue is to appeal to local businesses, although “I haven’t had a lot of luck,” she said.
Stewart-Bouley said she’s been speaking to organizations and whoever else she can think of.
“It’s hard when you serve low-income folks,” she said, because there isn’t a lot of extra money that those who are being helped can afford to give.
One change the organization is going through is selecting new members for and expanding its board of directors. Many of the current members have been on the board for about 10 years, said Stewart-Bouley, much longer than most people stay on a board.
She’s recruiting people who have fundraising experience and other skills.
Pam Belisle, director of the Parent Resource Center, is one of two new board members. Belisle said she has collaborated with Joyful Harvest for many years.
“My pockets aren’t deep as far as resources, but I give of my heart and hands,” she said.
Belisle and her son, Wyatt, who will be a freshman at Old Orchard Beach High School this fall, volunteer at the program on Wednesdays.
Joyful Harvest “is so much more than a drop-in center,” said Belisle. The organization “makes a huge impact on children and parents in Biddeford-Saco,” she said. “What a loss that would be if Biddeford-Saco didn’t have it.”
Without Joyful Harvest, said Stewart-Bouley, many of the children who attend wouldn’t have a safe destination with fun activities with their peers during the summer or after school.
The average age of those attending the center is 10, she said, though youth between 7 and 18 are welcome.
“Having a safe space means in the critical teen years, (youth) are more likely to make (the) right choices,” said Stewart-Bouley.
She said she hopes the community steps up and funds Joyful Harvest.
“This has just become a labor of love,” said Stewart-Bouley. “I’m committed to trying to keep this open as long as the community supports it.”
— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.
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