The Anita Stroud Foundation Inc., chartered in 1973, became a 501 C-3 nonprofit corporation in 1974. The Foundation is funded by voluntary public contributions and the initial mission of The Anita Stroud Foundation was to relieve Miss Stroud (Miss Neet) of the burden of raising funds for her Youth Development Center and to continue the program when she could no longer work.
Since 1974, the Anita Stroud Foundation has provided fundraising, counsel and guidance to the Anita Stroud Youth Development Center to keep Miss Neet’s dream and ministry alive. Financial assistance has been received from individuals, churches, civic clubs, social clubs, local and national businesses and other foundations. The Youth Development Center also received North Carolina state funds for a couple of years.
Miss Stroud’s childhood dream of owning a farm never materialized, but instead she turned her home into a place where children could learn, work and grow to become productive Christian adults. Her childhood dream was transformed into a ministry of love and caring for hundreds of children. Her passion was to help children to “Become Somebody” in spite of their environment. Miss Stroud looked beyond the labels such as “at risk,” “unchallenged”, “unloved “or “under privileged” and helped to turn many “Street Kids” into “Neet Kids”.
Miss Neet’s life and the productive lives of her “Neet Kids” are a lasting testament to the message she stressed to her kids every day: “You Can Be Somebody.” The Anita Stroud Foundation continues to reach out to children in the same Charlotte neighborhood where the old Fairview Homes and Double Oaks apartments once existed. Through faith, Miss Stroud’s Bible Story Hour which started in her home has been expanded to include educational, motivational, spiritual and enrichment programs. The annual camping experience which we have not been able to do for a few years, was the highlight of the children’s summer as they got a chance to visit various camps throughout NC for a two week period.
As the Anita Stroud Youth Development Center program grew, it moved from Miss Stroud’s home, to a donated trailer and later four renovated Fairview Home apartments on Edwin Street. Currently, the Anita Stroud Youth Development Center is one of several programs located in the new Ivory-Baker Recreation Center located in the new housing complex, Oaklawn at the Park, which replaced the Fairview Homes Public Housing Project. The recreation center was dedicated on June 21, 2007, and serves children from the immediate vicinity and Double Oaks area. The after school tutorial program currently has a dedicated staff of instructors and teachers who assist the youngsters with their homework, provide reading and spelling enrichment activities and Bible studies. The children also receive instructions in how to play chess once a week to help with developing their logic skills.
The Anita Stroud Youth Development Center seeks to help each child to dream dreams, develop sound values and enrich their lives using the same affirmation handed down from Miss Stroud, “You Can Be Somebody.” The mission statement of The Anita Stroud Foundation is a testament of Miss Stroud’s legacy:
| “To provide at risk children with love, encouragement, educational lessons, experiences and role models that will help them gain basic skills, self-esteem and improve the quality of their lives.” |
Over the years, the Anita Stroud Foundation has been fortunate to have very capable and dedicated persons with a strong sense of Miss Stroud’s mission to lead the ASF and ASYDC. The Board of Directors has always been instrumental to the survival of the ASYDC and fortunately the board members have been responsive to the Chairmen such as Allen King, H. Michael Schreibman, and W. Pete Cunningham.
The current leadership of the ASF Board of Directors is provided by Tim Mills, Chairman; H. Michael Schreibman, Vice Chairman; Fran Farrer-Nash, Secretary; Eric McCaw, Treasurer; Allan Oxman, Assistant Treasurer and Board Members: Kevin Archer, Peggy Beckwith, Nancy P. Stroud, and Darrel Williams.
