A Good Samaritan couple concerned about an impending $100,000 annual loss for San Diego County, California’s Big Brothers Big Sisters organization due to funding cuts have donated their 2009 luxury motorhome valued at $200,000 to the organization.
Congress recommended that all funding be cut for the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program, or MCOP, an initiative to provide intervention through mentoring to reduce the number of children following in their parents’ footsteps of crime and incarceration. This action affects the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and the more than 100 children served in the Children of Prisoners “Amachi Program.”
The loss of federal funding exacerbates the ongoing challenge to raise funds for more than 1,600 children served by the San Diego agency, which this year is still running $200,000 short of breaking even and does not address funding needed to serve the hundreds of children still waiting for Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
The anonymous couple, who learned of the organization’s financial woes, donated a 41-foot Holiday Rambler Endeavor.
Big Brothers Big Sisters plans to sell the motorhome before the September 2011 deadline when the federal funding ends for the Amachi program.
“We’ve only used the vehicle a few times, have great memories of our adventures and that’s enough for us,” the donors said. “Our wish is for children and their families to have the same kind of opportunities we’ve had; with positive caring role models who can help bring happy endings for everyone.”.
Big Brothers Big Sisters board member Tony McCune will show the motorhome at McCune Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge at the Mile of Cars located at 2340 National City Blvd. in San Diego. For more information, log on to www.SDBigs.org to see RV photos and learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs.
