Dear editor,

The old Roosevelt Middle School in Great Bend Kansas was closed around 1991 due to the American Disability Act because it did not have an elevator. When the building was locked that day, the flag was brought down and the individuals who were working there walked away they probably had no idea that a building that was abandoned would be resurrected and touch so many lives!

Over 25 years later, the Roosevelt Middle School which became Central Kansas Dream Center in July 2013 was blessed with a flag by a woman from our community who played the drum as the flag was raised and lowered during WW II. What an honor to raise a flag on that same flag pole.

Also, we just signed a contract to order an elevator for the building! What had bound and closed this building, it is now being equipped with the exact thing that preventing it from being productive!

The Kansas Department of Commerce awarded the Central Kansas Dream Center with $200,000 in Kansas Community Service Tax Credits to help with Phase 3 of the Dream Center Expansion which will consist of remodeling the third floor of the building. Contributions donated towards this project are eligible to receive a tax credit of 50 percent of the amount donated with a minimum amount being $250. The expiration date of the credits is Dec. 31 so an individual could still purchase them for 2017!

We have tax credits left!

This next phase will consist of studio apartments to accommodate married couples who want to come through the Dream Centers residential programs together and to accommodate more staff on sight. We are providing a clinic room with dreams of offering free medical clinics outside of meeting the needs of those we serve, a prayer chapel which gives you a view over all the official city and county buildings, so we can pray over our city and those who serve as city officials, a conference room and office space. The Dream Center’s purpose statement is Reaching Hurting People, Restoring Families, Realizing Dreams and we touch lives through our soup kitchen, our free boutique, homeless shelter for women and women with children, aging out of foster care program, discipleship program for men and women who have any kind of life controlling issues, financial assistance program, food baskets, and multiple groups including but not limited to grief & loss, parenting, overcoming depression, anger management, breaking abusive relationship cycles, boundaries and many more.

If you are interested in donating to this project, call Kimberly Becker, Director, at 620-282-4014 or Barry Bowers at 620-792-5378.

Kimberly Becker

Great Bend