CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 49 "My grandmother probably had a third grade reading level. We would have quali- fied for all of the services of Urban Minis- try. I would have been in Find-A-Friend," he said. Johnny has never met his own father. "I have no idea if I'm shaking hands with him in the food pantry or if he's a donor, but I have had a collage of mentors," he said. Fundraising A well-known and well-spoken leader, Johnny promotes FUM's mission at every opportunity. FUM has such strong name recognition that it can translate incorrectly into the notion that FUM does not struggle for funding. "People think we're rolling in the dough over here, but that's not the case," he said. July, August and September are the most fiscally lean months for the organization as families travel for the summer since the kids are out of school. At the federal and state level, grant funding can be delayed because of the new fiscal year. Budgets haven't been approved. "It hurts a non-profit. Our shelves go down. Cash flow is tight. at's when a lot of prayers go into play," Johnny said. Programs at Fayetteville Urban Ministry Across Cumberland County, FUM serves 8,000 to 10,000 individuals and families per year, free of cost. e most well-known program is Find-A-Friend, which Johnny said is more well-known than FUM as a whole. What started with 15 to 20 kids paired with a volunteer mentor now serves 150 to 200 youth per year. "ese kids are at risk and court- involved. A lot of them are on probation. ey're referred to us by school princi- pals, district attorneys, judges and school resource officers. What's so amazing is that we have well over an 80% success rate." e program defines success as no longer receiving suspensions in school, no further court involvement and an increase in grades. FUM also holds aer-school workshops that address topics such as peer pressure, sex, drugs, hygiene and commu- nication skills with teachers. In the summer, successful program participants can attend summer achieve- ment camps, which include field trips to the The City of Fayetteville wants you to can the waste! With our can do commitment to service, we make curbside pick-up convenient for household waste, yard waste and recyclables. You Can Make the Difference To encourage City residents to make recycling second nature, we make curbside recycling easy. Just can all types of recyclables together in your blue cart. When it comes to littering, please Keep it . . . then can it! Make "responsible" trash disposal a habit and help keep our great city clean and beautiful. FayettevilleNC.gov 433-1FAY (1329)

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