Safer Foundation moving to The Center

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By Thomas Geyer | Sunday, October 12, 2008 10:14 PM CDT | () comments

The Safer Foundation will move its administrative offices and youth programs to a new home this month after the building it was using became a victim of the John Lewis fallout.

The foundation was housed at 904 W. 6th St., in what is known as Miriam House. Miriam House was once owned by John Lewis Community Services Inc. That building is now in the hands of Wells Fargo.

Sue Davison, Safer Foundation’s adult program manager, said the offices and youth programs will be moving to The Center at 1411 Brady St. in Davenport, which is underwritten by St. John’s United Methodist Church.

“It will be a wonderful fit for our kids,” Davison said. She added that Safer works on both sides of the Mississippi River to help people “overcome the stigma of a criminal background in terms of jobs and education.”

“We have two programs that work with young people,” she said. “Our youth programs work with referrals from the court system. We help those young people prepare for their GED. Those are the kids that have not been successful in the traditional school environment. They struggled in mainstream education, but do better with one-on-one attention. We brush them up on the basic skills of math and reading. They take the exam at the Career Assistance Center at Scott Community College.”

There are currently 12 students working to take the GED, or General Educational Development, tests, she added. Last year, more than 40 students received their GED certificates, and 18 of those went on to post secondary or technical training.

The Center is home to SkateChurch and an indoor skate park, as well as the Solid Rock Coffeehouse, Neighborhood Ministries, The Friendly Thrift Shop and The Food Pantry @ The Center.

“We think it’s a good partnership,” said Pennie Kellenberger, director of The Center, adding that The Center is multi-denominational and multi-generational and reaches out to the area’s youth and adult populations.

Offices for Safer have been built at The Center, which itself is in its third year, she said.

Davison added there will be many opportunities for the congregation at St. John’s to mentor the youth that Safer Foundation serves. “They really live in community there,” she said.

Both Safer and The Center are seeking donations to help with the move and construction.

“You don’t relocate for free,” Davison said.

The Riverboat Development Authority has granted Safer $3,000 toward the construction costs, she said. An application for another $3,000 is pending with the Day Foundation, and a proposal has been submitted to the Scott County Regional Authority to cover construction costs.

Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.