The King Center builds community, nurtures dreams and changes lives each and every day. Located in a distressed area, within a 2 mile radius of the Center more than 4,100 households live in poverty and have lives characterized by:

• A 30% high school graduation rate with only 7% gaining a college degree
• A teenage mother birth rate of 180 per 1,000 versus an Illinois average of 42/1,000
• Approximately 600 youth with unsupervised time during high-risk evening hours

The Center's presence allows families striving to overcome the challenges of daily life an opportunity for hope and achievement.

The Project - The King Center's programs and services have evolved to meet the needs of the community, but the building must be renovated and expanded to provide more space for youth services including substance abuse prevention, job training, mentoring and after school activities. This facility will be able to serve over 200 youth and a community room will have capacity for 400. These will be spaces designed for the use intended versus the makeshift method the Center has been restricted to for 35 years.

Summary of Costs - Construction, renovation and related expenses are projected to total $3.6 million. To date we have secured $3.37 million toward our goal including funding from the City of Rock Island, the State of Illinois, the federal government and gifts and pledges from donors. Community support has been encouraging.

We must raise a little less than $230,000 to fully fund the project. We hope the community will choose to support the King Center with a contribution via pledge (payable over the next three years), online donation (www.rigov.org/mlkdonation.html), or by calling the King Center at (309) 732 - 2999. We are able to accept
cash, check, or credit card donations and all are tax deductable.

This financial support will directly impact the lives of the children and families the Center serves for decades to come.