GOAL:

 THE MISSION OF ANY COMMUNITY CENTER IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL, PARK, RECREATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND LEISURE OPPORTUNITIES.

        Alta Sita is currently a neighborhood which lacks any sense of community or structure.  Having personally surveyed some of the residents, 90% of those surveyed were not aware of any community groups or they knew of a group but did not participate.  Is a community center the answer to all of Alta Sita's problems.  No.  Will a community center provide the people of Alta Sita with a meeting place as well as an alternative to the streets for young people?  Yes.  The following are examples of community centers in the Champaign-Urbana area that are run successfully through the participation of volunteers from the local neighborhoods.
        A community center that provides Alta Sita with the necessary programs for improving the quality of living in the neighborhood is a long term goal in which the members of Alta Sita Inc. would like to see reached.  The center would provide the residents with the following programs: cultural art studies, sports, special interests, senior citizen groups, etc.  The community center would be centrally located in the community or at the intersection of two of the neighborhood's busier streets.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

     The Douglass Park  Community Center is located at 512 E. Grove St. Champaign, Illinois.  Various programs and activities take place at the Douglass Center, such as: youth basketball, day camps, teen programs, senior programs, etc.  After school programs are also held, which assures working parents that their children are off of the streets.  The main building contains vast space for all types of recreation, as well as rooms for studying or arts and crafts.  A library is located directly next to the gymnasium, which provides the children with a quiet alternative.  Two play areas equipped with swings, slides and benches which provide the children with outdoor recreation sources as well as two basketball courts.  Vast open space is also provided for other games and sports.
    The Douglass Park Community Center is under the supervision of the Champaign Park District.  The Champaign Park District is a special district of the local government with its own financial and legal responsibilities.  It is governed by five elected residents of Champaign who give their services to the community.  The Park Board holds its regular meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 pm at the Bresnan Meeting Center, 706 Kenwood Road.  Residents are invited to attend and are welcome to make suggestions or comments to improve the programs or facilities offered.  The Champaign Park District's 58 parks total 552 acres.  Ten centers and many facilities are available for a wide variety of recreation opportunities.
 
 
 

The Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club of Champaign is a community center that, unlike the Douglass Park Community Center, is funded by a national organization and raises money through charity events.  Programs such as arts and crafts, computer instruction, recreation, science, and tutoring are offered at the Moyer Club, which is run by many of the local citizens of Champaign.  Unlike the Douglass Park Center, almost all of the recreational activities are conducted indoors, due to the lack of outdoor space.  To compensate for their lack of space, the children are often taken on field trips as well as walking to the local parks for recreation.  Enrollment during the school year averages around 250 children that range from the ages of six to eighteen years old.  The children are organized according to their age, and at times some of the older children help out monitoring the younger members.  Due to the high volume of children enrolled in the summer months, 500 plus, the organization is forced to put applicants on a waiting list.  Three years ago, an addition to the old building was completed which allowed the enrollment to increase, but due to its popularity, the club continues to have a waiting list of about 200 children.  Fundraisers and donations aid in the maintenance and upkeep of the buildings.  The new building was just recently equipped with eight new computers which allow the youth to browse the world wide web and also open email accounts.

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