Building Empowerment Skills Today (BEST) is a subsidiary of the nonprofit, Williams Memorial Development (WMD). At its inception, from 2007 to 2009, Compassion Capitol Fund provided funds to build the infrastructure as WMD began its infancy as a nonprofit organization, with the vision that WMD could, in the future, add more community programs.
Currently.......
“The young people are the best! This is exactly what our community needs.”
Our three-week summer youth development program is for teens, ages twelve to eighteen, living in the Oak Park area and for homeowners in the same area who want help improving the curve side appearance of their homes, FREE of charge. BEST offers the youth a 6-hour oasis from many unwelcome aspects of their neighborhood, and they earn a $25.00 a-day-stipend. One homeowner stated, “The young people are the best! This is exactly what our community needs.”
In the morningSenior Resident shows the BEST project manager, his broken fence .........
Happy couple...OUR fence is fixed!The youth are divided into teams and work under the guidance of their Project Manager as they complete the projects for the homeowners. The youth wear the yellow vests and the Project Manager wears an orange vest.
THEN the afternoons.... after a nutritious lunch............
The B.E.S.T. youth attend interactive "life skills" seminars, such as: Goal setting/college information, Communication Skills, Financial Education, Job Etiquette, The job application, A mock interview, Healthy Eating and we even did a session on yoga, to teach our youth how to relax and control anger. For attending both sessions, and as an incentive to avoid anti-social activities, the youth are given a $25.00 per day stipend.
Big Day donations help pay the youth and their managers
The Youth, college students or other adults serving as project managers and the cook are given a small stipend.
Throughout the years, we received contributions from a host private donor and the Lanie-Albrecht Foundation. In 2023, Nugget Stores awarded a grant to our program, however our largest funds came from YOU our Big Day of Giving friends.
The BEST program's mission is to empower youth ages 12-18, regardless of gender or race, who live in the Oak Park area, with community pride and life skills which will empower them to become community oriented, socially responsible citizens. The program provides some skills necessary to improve the youth's lives through neighborhood beautification, on the job training projects, and interactive educational seminars that deter anti-social behaviors and develop a strong gist of work etiquette.
Needs
BEST Has some immediate needs:
1. Sponsor for 25 BEST youth ($225 each; $5625 total)
2. Sponsors for the Youth's lunches ($400), snacks ($250)
3. Sponsors for Project Managers ($2,400)
4. Tools replace (1) broken hula hoe (2) sickles, (1) garden hoe, (2) collapsible wheelbarrows and cost for storage unit for the tools ($500).
TOTAL $9,100
Additional NEEDS:
* Funds for an Administrative assistant ($3,000)
* Funds for Webmaster ($1,000)
TOTAL $4,000
In Kind NEEDS
1. Printing
2. Food for lunches
3. Tools
4. Life Skills trainer
5. Videographer, photographer
Volunteer or intern NEEDS
1. Project Manager
2. Life Skills Trainer
3. Webmaster
4. Board member to serve as treasurer, secretary or accountant
5. Social media tech
6. Media designer, and/or grant writer
Equity Statement
BEST is a three-week summer program in Oak Park for teens, regardless of race or religion, ages 12-18.