FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Marny Lifshen
(512) 619-0187
marnyl@austin.rr.com
ATTN: Andrea Ball, Philanthropy
Austin American Statesman
"Heart House Announces Donation from Silverton Foundation."
AUSTIN, TX -- Heart House, a free afterschool program dedicated to providing a safe haven and academic support to low-income children, today announced a donation by Austin-based Silverton Foundation of $5,000.
Silverton Foundation is a private family foundation that supports causes and organizations focusing on empowering disadvantaged people through initiatives in education, health and social services. Heart House will utilize the donation from Silverton Foundation to support their program's staff, supplies and field trips for students.
Andy White, Executive Director of Silverton Foundation, says "Heart House, through its innovative learning programs, is a leader in providing educational opportunities in afterschool care for the disadvantaged children of Austin. The Silverton Foundation is pleased to support this important work."
Diane Cannon, executive director of Heart House, says the partnership with Silverton Foundation is a natural fit. "Silverton Foundation is all about helping people who are often overlooked in our community to reach their potential. At Heart House, we help the youngest of those people by keeping children from at-risk neighborhoods safe, supervised and learning in the hours after school and before home," Cannon states.
A 2003 study by the Travis County Afterschool Network found that approximately 34,000 school-age children in low-income families in Travis County are unsupervised, and therefore at risk, between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., while parents or guardians are still working. During these critical hours juvenile crimes triple, and children are more likely to become the victim of a crime or become involved with alcohol or drugs. In addition, children enrolled in afterschool programs have better attendance and achievement in school, and are one-third less likely to become teen parents.
Heart House, established in Austin in August of 2002, is committed to providing a safe haven for these children through their free afterschool programs. At Heart House, low-income children have access to caring adult role models and mentors, homework assistance, art enrichment, computer learning, health and safety information, and literacy programs. Heart House, located in a low-income, predominantly minority neighborhood in Northeast Austin, is currently open weekdays from 3:00-6:00 p.m. and serves up to 50 children, ages 5-12, each day.
