Promise Center making an impact on community
When he isn’t at Promise Center, Fred Aguilar can probably be found organizing his sports collectibles or listening to some of his 15,000 albums.
“My passion is the kids. That’s why we opened the Promise Center, which came out of Gen. Colin Powell’s national campaign started in 1997 to get involved and make a difference in the lives of children. We wanted to give young kids a safe environment where they have a chance to learn, express themselves, and understand the importance of giving back and being part of their community. We’re not under the national umbrella so everything we do, we rely on grants, donations and volunteers.”
The Promise Center was going strong for about seven years, before it found itself without a home. Three years later, he found a solution.
“I learned that this old building was going to be torn down, so I called the owners and we worked out a deal to be able to use it. God bless Exxon volunteers, who helped us gut the place. We’ve been painting and fixing it up ever since.
“We’re starting to get our programs back together, and just recently had a very successful fundraiser. So now that we have programs growing, we can start applying for grants again.
“We’re trying to turn this into a real community center. While the focus remains on the kids, we’re also offering continuing education and various activities for adults.
“I love the idea that the kids see we’re doing something for them, and they’re learning to give back. I remember one girl who came to the center from Mexico. She couldn’t speak a word of English. She started taking classes and ended up getting a degree at Lee College. She came back and talked to us, and told us how much we had helped her. Those are the stories that I like to hear.”
— Fred Aguilar
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