Grant Given To Family Freedom Center Will Boost Opportunities For Kids And Teens

DULUTH, Minn. — $100,000 was given to the Family Freedom Center Monday for a new program they’re starting.

The Ordean Foundation made this happen with a major legacy grant. The grant was in honor of Joe Everett, who worked for the Ordean Foundation for more than 30 years.

The grant will allow the Family Freedom Center, a black non-profit organization, to start a skilled trades, arts, robotics, and technology program. It’s designed to provide kids and teens the tools they need for career development and future jobs.

“To be able to have the opportunity to build a program, that we’ve in our organization dreamt about, talked about. It was kind of that ‘well if there was ever a way.’ To build something that provides technology for our youth, cutting edge technology, we’ll do it. So, it was just a great match, so thank you very much,” said Jacob Bell, Executive Director of Family Freedom Center.

Joe Everett was the one who selected the Family Freedom Center to receive the grant. He grew up in the Central Hillside neighborhood, and always hoped he could give back to the area someday.

“My hope is that the $100,000 gift, that we’re going to be giving to the Family Freedom Center that it’s going to enable them to address some of those issues, that we talked about earlier, about youth programs being underfunded, not having the kinds of equipment and resources that they need,” said Everett, retired Ordean Foundation Program Director.

New equipment, technology, education, and tools for kids and teens will be brought in to start the new program soon.