The DOCK: Dorcas Outreach Center for Kids

Laughter is always in the air at the Dorcas Outreach Center for Kids, or DOCK, where children of the Booker T. Washington neighborhood know they will find friendly faces and caring hearts.

Growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood is tough for a child or a teen, but the DOCK serves as an anchor in these rough seas. A program of the Brevard Neighborhood Development Coalition, is the realization of the dream of the late Irene Summerford, a neighborhood leader who shared with us her vision for a safe haven for area youngsters.

The DOCK is a friend children can count on through young adulthood.

Typically, youngsters first arrive underperforming at school, but at the DOCK they meet staff and volunteers who help them with their school work and instill in them the love for learning.

This nurturing environment also strengthens their faith and self-esteem and introduces them to life-enriching opportunities in sports and the arts.

At the DOCK, children also receive nutritious snacks, particularly important during the summer when school lunch and breakfast programs do not operate.

A state-of-the-art computer lab familiarizes children with the technology they need to excel in school and in the workplace. The DOCK moved into its new 3,500-square-foot facility in October, 2007. Currently, more than 40 volunteers, together with the DOCK director and teen program coordinator, allow the DOCK to serve a daily average of 40 children and 12 teenagers.

The DOCK is a positive influence not only to the children and adolescents we serve, but to the entire neighborhood.

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