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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Hello Family and Friends, I am very pleased that you chose to continue to support our efforts of demonstrating that positive youth development does reduce violence. More than achieving our mission and furthering our vision, I am deeply humbled by the way we impact the lives of youth and adult. 2015 overall was our best year yet; we did more with less, we furthered our reach to children in the community, and we strengthened our organization. Although our operating budget was $45,000, we were organizationally and programmatically able to accomplish everything we set out to do with about $35,000 in revenue and not a single paid staff member. Imagine what we could really do with the right financial investments in Lost Boyz. Last year we set out to host five teams, including expanding our program to girls with fast pitch softball, and sponsor ten youth leaders for a total of 85 kids; we ended up serving 66 youth. This year we added a second girls’ team and served over 90 youth from South Shore, mostly from generational families in the community. From a pedagogical perspective, that is huge. Our reach was even greater because of the multiplier effect – the children were inspired and in turn, our children had a positive impact on family members, friends, and people in and out of South Shore. I am proud of the hard work of all of our volunteers, youth, and parents. In the neighborhood, on the field, and everywhere else our members exhibited tremendous respect for others, appreciation for knowledge, and a stalwart demonstration of service to others. Next year, 2016, has me overly excited with expectations reaching the heavens. This year we want to serve even more kids, perform better on the field, provide greater augmentation of scholastic enrichment, and make “Lost Boyz” synonymous with the word SUCCESS. We have appreciated your commitment, dedication, and loyalty, and we look forward to having it again in this next year. Warm Regards,
LaVonté Stewart Sr. Lost Boyz Inc 2015 Annual Report
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ABOUT LOST BOYZ INC. Founded in September of 2008 by LaVonté Stewart Sr., Lost Boyz Inc. is a non-for-profit, grass-roots organization engaged in community development within Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Our organization services youth ages 4 to 17 through our various programs from February until August of every year. Our target population is focused primarily on ultra high-risk youth, incarcerated youth, alienated youth, low income youth, and abused youth. As a result of our efforts since 2008, over 220 children from the South Shore community and 32 children detained in the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) have stayed trouble free for a range of four to nine months while occupied with our athletic and youth leadership activities. Our organization originated in the South Shore neighborhood as a direct response to the need
OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
Lost Boyz Inc. mission is to de-
Lost Boyz Inc.’s vision for the future
crease violence, improve the social
is a renewed and continuous provi-
and emotional conditions, and pro-
sion of opportunities to participate
vide financial opportunities among
in organized little league for the
the youth in Chicago’s South Shore
South Shore neighborhood’s at
community. With baseball train-
risk youth and a fully developed
ing and competitive participation
youth-driven economic redevelop-
as our core driver, our mission is
ment program. As the result of an
achieved through high-intensity
“earn as you learn” approach, at
mentoring and support, interven-
risk youth would display improved
tion, and social entrepreneurship
social relations, scholastic aptitude,
business activities. We also in-
and trade skills development. This
corporate diversity and cultural
approach would promote econom-
cultivation, service learning, civic
ic reconstitution among younger
engagement, athletic and youth
generations of poor communities
employment. We use this combi-
by establishing several communi-
nation of programming and direct
ty-vested, youth driven venues to
interaction to positively and per-
attract new external revenue and
manently influence and impact the
revive non-residential consumer
lives of school age youth, resulting
activity through the provision of
in life-altering character develop-
quality service and product.
ment, positive behavior change, and improved decision making.
for the revitalization of organized youth baseball in the community. However, an organizational vision and mission greater than providing baseball developed as a result of the spike in adolescent violence, CPS student murders, increased criminal activity, police harassment, and other astonishing deteriorating social conditions of the youth in the community. Lost Boyz Inc 2015 Annual Report
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LOST BOYZ TEAM + HIGHLIGHTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President & Chairman LaVonté Stewart Treasurer Jataun Martin
THIS YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS We were awarded the Springboard grant! As part of Chicago Community Trust, a Springboard grant is often awarded as part of a multi-year, long-term relationship intended to help the grantee enhance its organizational stability and expand its reach. We are so excited to start this partnership and cannot wait to expand our impact even further. Cook-Illinois Corporation donated a school bus!
Secretary
When Chicago Sun-Times reported Mary Mitchell wrote about our orga-
Jocelyn Vana
nization in the paper, we had no idea what joys the article would bring. In
Board Director Jordan Hadelman Board Director Robert Williams
YOUTH ATHLETIC COACHES
the article, LaVonté discussed the organization’s struggles to transport our youth to/from games when parental involvement began to decline; this particularly affects the older youth. Cook-Illinois read the article and decided to help out by donating a 70+ passenger size bus. We held our First Annual General Meeting! To end the year and let our supporters know just how well it went, we decided to host our first ever annual general meeting. During the meeting, we were honored to award Secretary of State Jesse White with our Humanitarian of the Year Award for his community involvement with youth
Lady Bolts & Lady Thunder
and baseball.
Brenda Scott, Caitlin Robinson, Lee Smith Patriots LaVonté Stewart Reds Russ Pfeifle Royals Daniel Kirk White Sox Cooper Thompson, Glen Ducharme
Lost Boyz Inc 2015 Annual Report
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WINTER CLINIC The biggest highlight was the
As an example of the impact of
WINTER CLINIC was
service learning / civic project in
this project, we became privy to an
very successful. With an
which we collaborated with the
incident that one of our teenage
average attendance of
Chicago Police Department 4th
participants had with local officers.
25 CHILDREN
District to address police brutality.
One young man was approached
In light of the heightened dis-
on a weekday evening by local
course concerning black males and
officers, and out of fear he took off
law enforcement and rising Black
running. When the officers caught
Lives Matter movement across the
him they asked him why he ran,
country, we set out to improve the
and his response was that “he was
relationships between our youth
afraid because of the Mike Brown
on any given day, youth
and their community police offi-
situation that happened in Fergu-
improved drastically across
cers. More than 5 officers from the
son”. The young man then began
various indicators including
4th district participated by showing
to explain that he was a ball player
SPEED, STRENGTH, BASEBALL KNOWLEDGE, DISCIPLINE, WORK ETHIC, AND SKILL.
up to have active and open dis-
with Lost Boyz and spoke about
cussions with our participants
the project with the police; he
about what was happening around
further mentioned that one of their
the nation. The children were
officer colleagues was one of his
able to comfortably express their
baseball coaches. When the offi-
deepest concerns and impressions,
cers were able to confirm his story
while yet entertaining different
they immediately service learning
approaches to responding to
created a major impact – we suc-
police through role playing and
cessfully improved the relationship
advising sessions with the police.
between our participants and the
All service learning projects must
local officers.
Participants spent over
10 HOURS
end with an action, and in this case the youth created a multimedia presentation to capture what they had learned and to express how they felt about it.
a week receiving tutoring and baseball training, and working on their service learning project.
Lost Boyz Inc 2015 Annual Report
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MVP SPRING TRAINING & SUMMER PROGRAM The second phase of the program is MVP Spring Training & Summer Program, which moves from indoors to outdoors for 12 -14 weeks of training and competitive play. Here, all players are assessed by a series of measures; new players are drafted by an interested team or lottery, and returning players are either traded or returned to their previous team. From April until August, each team plays approximately 30 games in competitive play and faces teams from the Chicagoland area. Additionally, players will again participate in Service Learning activities, but will also participate in fun outings, such as a trip to a White Sox game.
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TEAM STATISTICS ROYALS (AGES 4-7) END OF SEASON STATISTICS # of Youth Served
7 kids served
Royals Win/Loss/Tie Record
Everyone Wins!!
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth
12 Hours
Game Participation per Royal
8 Games/8 Hours
REDS (AGES 8-10) END OF SEASON STATISTICS # of Youth Served
14 kids served
Reds Win/Loss/Tie Record
20/8/1, Rosemoor 12U League Champions! (3-1 playoffs)
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth
100 Hours
Game Participation per Red
29 Games/58 Hours
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“THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLY EYE OPENING AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE WHERE I LEARNED AS MUCH ABOUT MYSELF AS I DID ABOUT THE KIDS AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.” -COACH GLEN
PATRIOTS (AGES 8-12) END OF SEASON STATISTICS # of Youth Served
15 kids served
Patriots Win/Loss/Tie Record
3/17/1, (0-2 playoffs)
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth
100 Hours
Game Participation per Patriot
21 Games/42 Hours
WHITE SOX (AGES 13-17) END OF SEASON STATISTICS # of Youth Served
10 youth served
Yankees Win/Loss/Tie Record
1/10/0, (0-2 playoffs)
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth
30 Hours
Game Participation per Yankee
11 Games/22 Hours
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LADY THUNDER (AGES 11-14) END OF SEASON STATISTICS # of Youth Served
10 Youth served
Lady Thunder Win/Loss/Tie Record
0/10/0, No Playoffs
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth
72 Hours
Game Participation per Thunder
10 Games/20 Hours
LADY BOLTS (AGES 8-10) END OF SEASON STATISTICS # of Youth Served
10 Youth served
Lady Bolts Win/Loss/Tie Record
6/10/0, (0-2 playoffs)
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth
72 Hours
Game Participation per Bolt
16 Games/32 Hours
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FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR FY 2015 REVENUE…….……..……..……..……..……..……..…..……..……..……..………....……....…....…....…... $39,457 OPERATING EXPENSES……..……..……..….…..……..……..…...…..……..…..…..…..…...……..….........$26,438 YEAR-END SURPLUS……..……..……..…….…..…......…..……..……..……..……..……….…..……..…....$13,019
FY 2015 REVENUE OCTOBER 1ST, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2015 Program Income 4% Board Dues 7% Fundraising 8% Grants & Corporate Sponsorship 32% Individual Contributions 18% In-Kind gifts 31%
FY 2015 EXPENSES OCTOBER 1ST, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2015 Operating Expenses 3% Professional Services 2% Transporation 8% Administrative 1% Fundraising 6% In-Kind Gifts 46% Miscellaneous 1% MVP Spring and Summer Program 33%
Lost Boyz Inc 2015 Annual Report
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OUR PROGRAM SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
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