1. Statement of Need-Who and How Many We Serve
The Center services the community of Elizabethport and Plainfield. Elizabethport is primarily
a diverse mix of African-American and Hispanic cultures. The Center serves all people
regardless of race, color, creed, ethnicity or religious affiliation. There is an absolute need for
expansion. The development of over 600 new housing units in Eport has created a crucial
need for social services. In Plainfield, also a largely African-American community, the need is
to provide a safe learning environment for our preschoolers.
The Center will expand to meet the economic, commercial and development challenges of a
revitalized community. We will provide services to diverse ethnic and cultural target markets.
Our Center will have superb programs and will attract potential patrons from surrounding
areas. From senior citizens services to daycare for our community’s children, we help diverse
community groups live better lives.
The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center will serve all that are in need of the caring concern of
Christ. This vision of serving as many people in the community as possible is the foundation
of our Capital Fund Drive. Our community is expanding rapidly and it is vital to the
community that we expand to serve their needs.
Project Goals-What We Hope to Accomplish
We hope to break ground on a new expansion of our center in June 2005. Our goal is to
expand the Plainfield School to 15,000-square feet and provide 6 Abbott classrooms. The
expansion of the Center in Elizabeth will be two floors of 20,000 square feet. The first floor
will be 6 Abbott classrooms and the second floor will be office and program space. The cost
of the two projects is $6 million dollars. The goal of the Capital Fund Drive is to raise $3
million dollars and finance the rest.
Expanded Programs and Self-Sufficiency
This community profoundly needs services that aid families to become self-sufficient. As poor
and elderly residents continue streaming into Elizabethport, senior services, computer and job
readiness training, GED preparation classes, food distribution, youth programs and other
family strengthening programs are needed to uplift this community. We will also continue to
deliver these services at little or no cost to our clients. Many of residents of the Hope VI
buildings are long-time clients of the Center.
The Capital Fund Drive-What We Hope To Accomplish
The Eport community is emerging via a revitalized and rejuvenated economy and positive
social change. The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center’s response to the community is to
expand our existing social service programs, facilities, community services and personnel. Our
$3 million dollar Capital Fund Drive will make this expansion possible.
Alleviating Homelessness Through Economic Strength!
According to the 2000-2002 Employment Policies Institute study of Where The Jobs Aren’t,
the City of Elizabeth had an annual unemployment rate of 10.4 percent while the national
unemployment rate rose from 4.7 percent to 5.8 percent. Elizabeth had almost double the
unemployment rate in those cited calendar years.
Unemployment is one of the biggest causes of homelessness. Our planned expansion will
greatly help to alleviate this problem. Expanded space allows for more job readiness programs

2. that allow customized academics training and educational services to prepare the maximum
participants for the challenges of the job search process. Our community partners like Home
Depot will have more applicants for peak hiring cycles. The key is being able to expand our
facilities to meet the growing community challenges. The Center’s future growth depends on
the continuing partnerships with the civic community, government leadership and
professional staff.
The location of the computer services program will be on our second floor and will assist the
unemployed with job skills and job training. In 2004, the Center developed a career portfolio
that is useful as a job readiness program.
In 2005 the Center will include advanced training programs like GED test preparation and
professional training preparation. Professional training and preparation will prepare the
candidates for Administrative Assistant, Medical Billing, Receptionists and Contract Worker
positions.
Day Care-Safe day care for children in both the Elizabethport and Plainfield communities
allow parents to seek employment knowing their children will cared for. The Center’s day
care centers in both communities were established based on a critical need for daycare services
for low-income families. Our goal is to build two new classroom facilities and to expand a
curriculum that fosters a positive self-image for children ages 3-5. The expansion will enable
more children to benefit from the program goal and prepare more toddlers in becoming
emotionally, socially and academically ready for grade school. Our community partnerships
with the Boards of Education will also expand to provide pre-k services. The benefits from
this expanded partnership will include training, equipment and classroom supplies.
Strengthening The Families Program-this program reduces substance abuse and negative
behavior in youth ages 6-14. These are children of substance abusers. The program courses
offered improve the communication between parents and children. Building self-esteem and
stressing skills that help resist peer pressures are program benefits. The program has currently
helped 162 families and our expansion will serve 360 additional families.
Summary-What We Hope To Accomplish
The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center will serve all that are in need of the caring concern of
Christ. Preparing the Center to serve the community is the foundation of our Capital Fund
Drive.
The Center will help families to be self-sufficient and break the cycle of homelessness. Our
programs mend broken families through employment and empowerment. Positive character
traits like self-esteem, self-love and communications skills are built. We hope to accomplish a
better life for the children of Eport and Plainfield. Our children need the opportunities to
dream and know that if you truly want to succeed you can despite the circumstances.
Action Plan/Key Tasks
The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center’s Board of Directors have approved and implemented:
-a financial plan based on our core values and mission statement.
-architectural plans that efficiently utilize space and will serve the community most effectively.
-legal documents that need to be expedited to the proper state, federal and local agencies.

3. -a feasibility study developed by Bixel and Simple that indicates a need for expansion and
strategic approaches to a Capital Fund Drive.
The key tasks are to begin the action phase of our campaign. We have corporate and
community leadership ready to actively work with our Board of Directors and professional
staff. Our campaign needs financial commitments from the business community. The level of
energy exhibited at the beginning of this campaign is exciting.
Our Capital Campaign Drive’s leadership is committed to the core values and mission
statement of The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center. Here is the leadership team:
Dr. William Reed, Reverend Russell Block, Mr. Lewis Hurd and Mr. Alan Ford have been
long time board members and lead our Capital Campaign Drive committee. Their expertise,
professionalism and long association with the Center are important in both the campaign’s
marketing and program strategy with the development and cultivation of long term donor
relationships.
Roderick Spearman is our Executive Director. Mr. Spearman has established excellent
community relations with local government agencies, corporate leadership and foundations
that are key to our success. Martin Schwartz is our President of Marketing &
Development. He will partner with the board to lead our marketing, public relations
and our Capital Fund Drive. Prior to joining Eport, Mr. Schwartz helped increased
revenue at the Jewish National Fund by eight million dollars.
Capital Fund Drive and Construction Timeline-our Capital Fund Drive will be formally
announced by January 2005 and we expect to break ground in June 2005. Our Eport facility
will be transformed from an out-dated building to a two-story community resource center.
The first floor will have 6 Abbott classrooms and the second floor will provide office space
and program rooms for job training, computers and senior citizen programs and after school
programs. Our Plainfield facility is currently housed in an old Grant Avenue house that is
literally falling apart and our landlord is reluctant to make the necessary repairs. The Center
has purchased a building site in the same neighborhood and will build a new facility to house
the 6 Abbott classrooms.
Our action plan-The Campaign Fund Drive will be a marketing program that focuses on
Alleviating Homelessness Through Economic Strength. Eport has many success stories
regarding our Job Readiness programs and helping the community alleviate homelessness.
When social problems are alleviated all of Union County benefits. Our public relations
campaign will educate the communities outside Elizabeth and Plainfield.
All Union County benefits when a homeless person or family gains employment and can
afford a safe secure home.
All Union County benefits when families are strengthened and when youth is taught how to
handle peer pressure
All Union County benefits when our most precious resource, our children are well educated
and have proper self-esteem through positive school experiences.

4. All Union County benefits from The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center’s Capital Fund
Drive.
CPC participation at the Center and within The Capital Campaign
The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center, Inc., an agency of the Presbytery of Elizabeth, has
served the residents of the Port section of Elizabeth since 1965. We have worked closely with
the Central Presbyterian Church. Members of CPC have served and continue to serve on the
Center’s Board of Directors. CPC and the Center collaborate in the weekly tutorial program.
Members of CPC act as both supervisors and tutors. This program has been active since
1968. Members of the Women’s Society have knitted baby clothing to be distributed among
the Eport families.
The Center welcomes additional participation of CPC members in our Capital Fund Drive as
advisors and participants in all aspects of the fundraising process.
Funds Requested and Disbursement Timing
The low and moderate-income families that are moving into Eport will require an increase in
the social service programs if they are to prosper. Our goal is to alleviate homelessness
through economic strength. This means that the demand for day care, senior care, family
strengthening, educational and social services at the Elizabethport Presbyterian Center will
increase dramatically. Similarly the demand for day care in Plainfield has also increased.
To meet this exploding demand in both Elizabeth and Plainfield, the Center must expand its
facilities and programs. Thus the Center plans to build a new day care/social service building
in Elizabeth and a new day care building in Plainfield. To finance this construction the Center
is embarking upon a three million-dollar capital fund drive. We are requesting that The Lena
Willis Fund make a leadership grant of $200,000 over a period of three years for the
construction of the buildings that will house the day care and social service programs that are
desperately needed in the communities we serve. The timing of this grant can be back-loaded
such that a larger fraction of the funds be received in the second and/or third years.
Plan for maintenance financing after Mission Support Ends
The plan for maintenance funding after mission support ends will consist of support through
corporations, foundations, private donors, community and governmental agencies. The
Abbott classrooms that will be operated in the new facilities will generate sufficient cash to
fund any shortfall of the social service programs. In addition grants are expected to generate
funds for the social service programs.
Evaluation Of Performance versus Action Plan
Our Board of Directors will evaluate performance versus action plan in two areas. The first is
the evaluation of the construction phase to assure it stays within cost and on time. The
second is the evaluation of the program phase to assure the quality is maintained, costs are
controlled and the revenue is stable. The Board consists of long time residents of Eport;
many have been board members since 1965. Many nonresidents have been board members of
Eport since 1968 and have an extensive knowledge of the community.
Other Funding Sources
The Grassman Fund, Union Foundation, Elizabeth Community Development Block Grant,
Elizabeth Economic Development, and the Kellog Foundation. We are actively seeking

5. funding from local businesses, corporations, foundations, private donors and partnerships.
Our Capital Campaign Drive plans include special events, annual fund, major gifts, planned
giving seminars, grants, direct mail, phone-a-thons, a major event underwritten by corporate
sponsorship, small scale events as part of annual calendar Targeted funding sources for our
Capital Fund Drive also include board members personal contributions.
What would be the impact if CPC does not grant this proposal?
Not receiving the grant with have a significant negative effect on our Capital Fund Drive and
thus on the Eport community. It will make it considerably more difficult for us to reach our
capital campaign goals. Aside from the actual value of the grant, having a significant pledge
from a respected funding source at the start of a capital fund drive makes additional pledges
considerably easier to obtain. If the Lena Willis Fund is willing to make the commitment, the
actual funding could be end-loaded in that a greater fraction of the funds could be received by
the Center in the second and/or third years of the cycle.
Faith is trusting in what we cannot yet see and faith in God renews compassion in the spirit.
Not receiving these funds will make it more difficult for the Elizabethport Presbyterian Center
to support this trust and faith in the community. The Center needs the resources to provide
community services because that is our commitment to the community.
You cannot buy trust. Trust is earned by years of success stories. One such story is about the
young well-dressed woman that knocked on the door of the Center’s first Executive Director,
Reverend Joseph Garlic. When he answered the door he at first did not recognize her. She
introduced herself and proceeded to tell him about her childhood and youth at the
Elizabethport Presbyterian Center. She thanked him for the Center being there for her. She
had a professional career as an attorney and had just came back to say thank you. For forty
years The Elizabethport Presbyterian Center has been reaching out to the most hurting of our
community and providing them with the tools for self-help. Our Center is bringing the
healing power of Christ to the community.