10 Amazing Things that Happened at So What Else Last Year…
1. Over 3,500 children, from communities across the Baltimore Washington Metro community, attended our out-of-school-time programming during the school year and summer break.
2. We had the support of 235 student community volunteers who assisted at our programs and served as positive role models and mentors.
3. We grew nearly 500 pounds of fresh and organic produce at Oasis Farms. Oasis uses the produce grown to feed the special needs children in their program. So What Else helps grow the produce with the children and then they get to enjoy it as well!
4. Our free-of-cost summer camps hosted, on average, 165 children in need per day, for all 64 days of summer.
5. We increased our programming at four of our partner sites! We now provide year-round out-of-school-time programming at Rockville Housing Enterprises in Montgomery County, the Wingate Community in Southeast Washington DC, Pedestal Gardens in Baltimore City and Gaithersburg Middle School in Montgomery County.
6. We hosted our most successful Annual Community Day ever this past December! Over 60 community members came together, collected and distributed over 100 bags of clothing, art supplies, snacks and more for our community partners. Your items will be benefitting children all over Maryland and DC as well as our partners at InterFaith Works, A Wider Circle, and the Highland Dwellings Community!
7. The holiday spirit was overflowing this past December. We provided five holiday parties for our partner youth centers and distributed over 150 gifts – donated by our friends at DMI.
8. We launched our first ever before school program – Mentors in the Morning at Gaithersburg Middle School. The aim of this program is to increase attendance and punctuality by providing an on-campus option to assist with before-school-time obstacles.
9. The students in our programs paid it forward this year to Mother Nature – participating in community and neighborhood trash pick-ups, growing community gardens and turning our recycle into eco-bricks!
10. You made a big impact at this year’s So What Else Charity Gala, raising $185,000 to support our local kids in need!
Supporters like you made all of this possible! We are so grateful to partner with you in creating free-of-cost educational and creative opportunities for our local children in need.
