2019 In Review

2019 marked Dathouse’s 12th year in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood.  We started the year with the most staff and the most programming in history, but our income had not kept up. We were in desperate need to continue growing our support base.  We focused heavily on this all year by bringing in a support raising coach and launching some new initiatives. One big initiative was to create a Business Sponsorship Program to give our local community the opportunity to invest in our work.  They responded in a HUGE way and the support was amazing.

Executive Director Brandon Mott welcomes business sponsors to our 2019 Sponsor Appreciation Dinner.

   In the spring, we started making our own baked goods for Lincoln Lane, and the response to this was great! We have now carried our own product for almost a year and are excited to continue to launch new seasonal products. Around the end of the year, Zan also finished out her first year as the coffee shop manager and we couldn’t be more grateful! Lincoln Lane experienced incredible growth this last year under her leadership.

L:R, Clockwise: Spinach & Egg Hand Pie, Honey Walnut Scones, Pecan Shortbread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. All featured as a part of Lincoln Lane’s Fall 2019 Seasonal Menu.

Our work with the neighborhood kids continued to thrive in 2019 as well. In the spring we finished up our first year hosting DATKids after care at James A. Garfield, IPS #31. The partnership has revolutionized our ability to care well for our students. In the fall, when we launched year 2, our retention rate was the best we’ve ever had, and our roster quickly surpassed 50 students. We are continually blown away by what a gift it is to get to be a part of their lives, and our partnership with school 31 just continues to enhance that. Another first we had this year was taking a group of 4 middle schoolers on a summer camping trip.  We want to continue to grow and enhance our summer outdoor exposure programs.

In September we celebrated the 5 year anniversary of The Lincoln Center opening and were blown away by the love we received from the community.  All in all, 2019 was our best year yet! Our programming has continued to grow in its scope and impact, and we were able to reach a position of financial stability that will help us continue to fulfill our mission to “be a leader and catalyst in fostering a healthy mixed income community” well into the 2020’s.  Thank you so much for all who support us.

-Brandon Mott, Executive Director