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Politics & Government

Recreation Committee Endorses CHEER's Montgomery County Grant Request

CHEER is a local community research organization.

The Takoma Park Recreation Committee approved an endorsement letter supporting a grant request filed with the county by the Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER) organization. The committee has engaged CHHER to help identify community needs and how to better reach out to teens.

CHEER—a local community research organization— applied to the Montgomery County Council for a grant and asked if the Recreation Committee would send an endorsement letter saying the panel endorses the application, said Cindy Dyballa, committee vice-chair, at the committee’s Mar. 14 meeting. However, the amount CHEER is requesting from the county was not mentioned.

Bruce Baker, CHEER’s director, has told the Recreation Committee that conducting the research for the Recreation Department is estimated to take about six months at a cost of from $7,000 to $8,000. The only limitation for conducting the research is determining what the resources are that are going to support how the project can be accomplished, Baker said. In addition, if the committee helps CHEER find the resources, it would facilitate moving this forward, he said.

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An endorsement letter had been drafted and was presented to the committee. That letter said:

“The Takoma Park Recreation Committee, an official adjunct to and appointed by the City Council, supports the FY (fiscal year) 2012 Council Grant Application of Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER). The Takoma Recreation Committee maintains a strong focus on youth programs and information gathering that CHEER proposes to support and inform our own efforts.

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“We understand that CHEER will use these funds to conduct a community-based participatory process that selects indicators of the well-being of children, youth and families in Takoma Park and neighboring Long Branch. CHEER will work in partnership with other local groups, including this committee. We hope you approve this grant request.”

In addition to sending the letter to the County Council, CHEER asked that each member of the Recreation Committee sign the letter. “The point is, each one of us is a signatory, unless someone objects,” Dyballa said.

In December 2010, the Recreation Committee engaged CHEER to conduct research into how the Takoma Park Recreation Department “can do a better job at reaching out to teens beyond the existing teen program.”

CHEER’s role would be to help the committee “reach out and survey the community to find out what the needs are, and what people are focused on,” said Jay Keller, committee chair.

In addition to seeking resources, Baker said members of the committee need to participate on a “steering committee” to chart out a “course that would make the most sense.”

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