Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 6 April 1995 — Page 4

Page 4 Thursday, April 6,1995 Muncie Times

MOMs .(Continued from page 1) excited. Their parents are excited. The volunteer tutors, many of them Ball State students, are excited. I am excited,” said Dollison. “We are all excited. “We are looking forward to the April 17 movein date. We will have our own cooking facility. Already the children are planning the menus, are planning all kinds of snacks they want, instead of me doing it.” MOMs was the brainchild of two concerned moms—Dollison, a veteran Morrison-Mock Elementary School teacher, and Raushanah Shabazz, then a secretary at the Muncie Human Rights Commission. A year ago, Dollison got a leave of absence from the Muncie Community Schools so she could be MOMs’ full time executive director and shepherd the organization through its expansion. She recently asked for a second year’s leave of absence so she can help place MOMs on a surer footing. Dollison and Shabazz were motivated by the idea that Muncie desperately needed a program to encourage at-risk African American youngsters to

stay in school and succeed. That year was 1987. Since then the program has been expended to help all at-risk young people. Today the 73 MOMs students, who come in the afternoons and early evenings to participate in afterschool programs, include 11 whites. MOMs started in the 1987 summer with students meeting in Dollison’s former living room, on North Turner Street, for reading and study sessions. In time the two MOMs’ founders realized they needed more space. That came from the Rev. Willie J. Jackson, pastor of Union Missionary Baptist Church, who let MOMs use a church house on Macedonia Avenue, near Highland Avenue, Muncie. “I just feel this building will be a positive asset for the community. We will use it for MOMs activities, but the community will also be able to use the building for other activities,” Dollison said. “There is a need for a building like this. Right now it is hard for community groups to find buildings to use after 6 p.m. “The area around the building looks much better. The community is excited

about the building. Cornelius (her husband) says sometimes it is hard to work on the building because of people coming by and asking to tour the building. There is real excitement in the community about the MOMs building.

until they graduate,” said Dollison. Among the successes that Dollison is proud of is the fact of the 16 students who attended the first year’s program, 15 graduated from high school and six of them went on to col-

C. Goodall and Muncie’s first African American schools superintendent. Dr. Sam Abram, who now heads the Pontiac (Mich.) public school system. “What has pleased me a lot about the program this year is that we are getting more children involved and we are also getting more parental involvement. We have been exposing the students to more activities. Hopefully, we are inspiring them to stay in school and do well,” she said. “I have also been really pleased with the parental participation this year. Whenever I have asked parents for help, they have tried to help. Some parents are even helping with the painting of the new building, while some are tutoring. This is the most help that I have had from parents. I am really excited about the parents who want

“For the children there are additional advantages, because the lighting will be better and it will also be quieter inside.” Dollison said the building, which used to house VGV Meats, cost $40,000. The purchase was made possible by a $133,325 grant awarded to MOMs in 1993 by Muncie’s Urban Enterprise Association. MOMs also bought four lots suirounding the building. Part of this will be transformed into a parking lot. “The MOMs program has had some successes, but there are still many more goals that need to be met. We are working to meet them and to make sure that MOMs will be able to help more children in the city. There is so much to do to make sure that we get our children to go to school and that they will be motivated enough to stay in school

lege. Dollison said she has relied on parents and Ball State students as volunteer tutors. Community and business leaders have also helped as volunteer tutors and guest speakers. Even Muncie Mayor David Dominick has been there to help, as have retired Indiana Assemblyman Hurley

to help make it easier for their children to learn. “This year it has been really easy to get parents to help drive when going on field trips. Many have also been very helpful and faithful in following through on suggestions made to help their children. The cooperation has been wonderful. (See MOMs on page 5)