About Us
SHARON BAPTIST BOARD OF DIRECTORS was organized in the year 1969. During July that same year Sharon Baptist Head Start was founded. The sponsor was incorporated March 1987. We began with an enrollment of 60 children in the basement of Sharon Baptist Church. Our founders were the late Rev. George Criss and Easter Davenport.

Now, Sharon Baptist is at a point where it sponsors: 480 delegate children, 72 grantee (direct funding) children and 52 day care slots. Our facilities include four sites. May 1994 we were blessed to purchase our first property, the old police precinct at 1925 Bathgate Avenue and an old warehouse at 507 East 165th Street in 2005.

Background

During our 37 years of operation we have witnessed the destruction of the family, the deterioration of the community, the loss of self esteem, and an increase of poverty. We have seen the death of children's dreams. They now dwell with shortened life expectancy, their numerous experiences with police and despair. We have also seen families who have been able to maintain its' dignity and progress with the assistance of the staff and programs we have provided. Most of our families are enrolled in the head start modality. Our strength is head start, a federally funded anti poverty program started in 1965. It is the only program designed to counteract poverty from that period that still exists today.

We have served thousands of families. To counteract the negativity the families encounter daily, we are constantly focusing our efforts on rebuilding the family. The programs we sponsor, head start and day care are "two of the few credible institutions that retain the trust of the families."

Our operating budget for the 2006 - 2007 program year was in excess of five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) including federal delegate and grantee, state, city and USDA/CACFP funding.