“Without something like the community chest, we would be limited,” Morak said.
Morak said that the community chest’s continued generosity has made several programs possible. After grants and state funding are figured into CAP’s annual budget, Morak said there is sometimes little room to implement necessary programs.
With a donation like the one CAP will receive from the Canastota Community Chest 2010 Campaign, Morak said the program is capable of providing extra activities to children they might have never gotten such an opportunity.
“With the extra funding, we were able to scholarship a child to play an instrument,” Morak said. “Otherwise, the family would not be able to participate.”
Morak said the program was pleased to “support a young man in order for him to be in band,” because it creates “connections” in the community.
Although CAP is sufficiently funded to operate annually, the program and its employees are grateful to have the community chest’s support, Morak said.
“Without something like the community chest, we would be limited,” Morak said.
One of the 12 Canastota Community Chest’s board of directors members, Diane Karan, said it’s the campaign’s pleasure to support a program like CAP because it helps an array of families across the county.
The mentoring program has now become a beneficiary of the community chest while CAP has seen many years of generosity from the annual fundraising campaign. Morak said CAP has great pride and confidence in the mentoring program because it also touches numerous families and leads to other avenues of opportunity.
“One of the greater things about the mentoring program is that the mentors really care about the families of the children they mentor,” Morak said. “It wouldn’t be successful if they didn’t care.”
From the mentoring program, Morak said mentors are very active in communicating additional matters that the program can dissolve or improve. Several job referrals have been made because of the communication between the mentors and CAP employees such as Morak.
When families struggle with job loss and a mentor sees a need for groceries in the home, the program can contact the food pantry and help out, Morak said.
Both Canastota Community Chest President Patrick Milmoe and member of the board of directors Diane Karan said the fundraising campaign will continue to support CAP for Madison County and its mentoring program.
The campaign ended Oct. 31, but the board will continue to collect donations for het 23 agencies it supports. Mail your tax-deductible contribution payable to Canastota Community Chest, Inc., along with an indication of the agency you are donating to and the amount with your name and address to P.O. Box 9, Canastota, NY 13032.
