Kids' S.P.A.C.E. Fund-Raising Drive

They call themselves Kids’ S.P.A.C.E.  of Rye. The  S.P.A.C.E part of the name is an acronym for  School-based Program-Activity-Care-Enrichment.

By any other name, the non-profit organization’s mission statement says they are in the “business of building childrens’ futures.”

They do that by providing working parents with the "peace of mind that comes from knowing their children are well cared for.”

That “peace of mind” is priceless, but also comes at a price. So  Kids’ S.P.A.C.E. is in the midst of a fund-raising appeal for support.

“Today more than 100 Rye families depend on Kids’ S.P.A.C.E. for safe, affordable before and after school programs,” according to fund-raising  information. 

“For some of our parents, donation-supported scholarships make it possible to work and raise children in an increasingly challenging environment. We’ve been able to help them, thanks in part to generous contributions from residents like you,” say board president Joni Ehrlich and program director Lauren Collins in their appeal letter.

Collins  points out that tax-deductible gifts support student scholarships, enrichment programs and teacher training so Kids’s S.P.A.C.E. can continue to give Rye children a healthy, nurturing place to go when they need one.

Kids’ S.P.A.C.E.  operates out of a Rye YMCA office site at 21 Locust Avenue; its program site is at the Osborn School on Osborn Road.

Collins says she became involved with the organization more than a decade ago when her two kids were going to Milton School.

“I was looking for part-time work, Kids’ S.P.A.C.E. needed someone to work at Milton back then and I got the job,” she recalled.  “I went to school with my kids in the morning, and I came home with them when the school day ended.”

When the organization was looking for an executive director, Collins knew the operation from the ground up and had the necessary state certifications to take over running Kids’ S.P.A.C.E.

The organization’s “Founding Mothers” had to overcome lots of obstacles to get the program off the ground in 1994, Collins recalls.

“At the outset, there was lots of opposition to S.P.A.C.E. in Rye,” she remembered. “There were a number of people who believed a mother’s place was in the home, and they should be stay-at-home moms dedicated to raising their children."

"But the group we call the ‘Founding Mothers’ had other ideas, especially in a changing economic climate," said Collins. The group made sure to establish themselves as a bona fide non-profit with fully qualified, certified staff. They became one of only four similar organizations in all of Westchester.

Collins gave examples of just how the organization puts its contributions to work.

A $25 gift covers the cost of a healthy after-school snack every day for a month for one student; $75 pays for a year’s worth of art supplies and learning activities for a student, a $100 gets a staff member First Aid and CPR training, and $300 gives one student a week-long scholarship-- five days in a supplemental educational program when schools are closed for vacation. A lot more donated money buys a lot more opportunities for needy kids.

Further information: Kids’ S.P.A.C.E., 21 Locust Ave., 921-3390; Osborn School Program Site, 921-3390. Email: kidsspace@verizon.net