Utica, NY – Like so many community care organizations, Thea Bowman House has refused to back down to the challenges of COVID and has instead doubled their efforts to serve the Utica area’s most vulnerable and at-risk children and families. The recent addition of two new yellow school buses to Thea Bowman House’s fleet will allow the organization to bring children and families directly to their locations to access services, as well as transport children to museums and outdoor excursions that their circumstances would not otherwise allow them to enjoy.
Proudly celebrating their 35th anniversary, Thea Bowman House is a life-line for more than 350 children and hundreds of adults in the Utica area. The organization provides childcare programs and assistance, summer reading programs, a food and clothing pantry, community gardening programs for fresh produce, and holiday assistance to ensure that every child feels special and every parent receives the gift of their child’s happiness.
In addition, Thea Bowman House provides a sense of security to children in a chaotic world where their parents are struggling simply to survive often working multiple jobs.
Jane Domingue, executive director of Thea Bowman House said, “The two new school buses in our fleet are a vital point of access for services; ensuring children are able to attend our childcare and after-school programs and that families can conveniently access our pantry, community garden, and myriad of family services. Through grants and the generosity of our supporters, we were able to obtain our new TransTech yellow school buses from Leonard Bus Sales.”
“Years ago, Sister Thea Bowmen believed that if every person lit a single candle there would be a tremendous light. Well, that’s sort of what the contributions from our supporters represent to the families we help every day, they are the candles that help light the way to a better life.”
Photo: left to right – Jane Domingue, Diana Greene, Deb Allen, Sandy Wright
Those wishing to support Thea Bowman House in their ongoing mission of ensuring that the less fortunate of our community have access to the critical services needed to not only survive but thrive should visit the organization’s website. Thea Bowman House gratefully accepts both cash and in-kind donations. www.theabowmanhouse.org/donate
Thea Bowman House extends its deepest thanks to the Mele Family Fund, Margarets Gaffney & Van Waes Fund, and M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund for their generous support which made this acquisition possible. The three funds are donor-advised funds of The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc.
About: Thea Bowman House has been serving low-income, at-risk children and families in the Utica community for 35 years. We provide quality care to some of our community’s most vulnerable children and youth in the hope of breaking the cycle of poverty through a structured program of educational and social enrichment. We began in 1986 as Agape House, an after school program for latch key children in the west Utica area, and continued to expand our programs, becoming Thea Bowman House in 1996. Today we operate out of two sites in the city of Utica, one at 731 Lafayette Street and the other at the former St. Francis de Sales School at 309 Genesee Street. We currently serve over 350 children ages 18 months through 18 years.
Contact: Jane Domingue (315) 735-6995 or jane@theabowmanhouse.org