HD Youth Center continues recovery

Here's the deal with volunteer labor:

"When you don't have the money to tell people what to do and when to do it, you can't boss them around," said Henry Davison. "This is a volunteer thing as far as the labor is concerned - we're only paying for the materials."

Proceeds from a French toast breakfast Sunday at the Cedar Rapids Jaycee Center, 225 Fifth Ave. SW, will benefit Davison's project. Breakfast will be served for a suggested $5 donation from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Progress towards reopening the youth center bearing Davison's name has been halting since the June 2008 flood wrecked its former location in a rented storefront at 1006 Third St. SE.

In March 2010, Davison reached an agreement to buy the old  Sno-White Coin Laundry at 1445 Mount Vernon Rd. SE. Converting the cinderblock building has been slow, but there was progress last weekend as a crew began replacing its roof.

"We have to wait now until we get some more nice weather and we can get back up there to finish the job," said Davison, 84.

After the roof is finished, workers can insulate the building, install heating and air conditioning, and finish the interior, according to contractor Dan Olmstead, who's managing the project. Local building trades unions are providing most of the free labor.

Davison said the city is requiring fire-suppression sprinklers be installed, too.

Davison plans to offer meals and after-school programs, and he hopes to equip the building with a computer center for neighborhood children who don't have Internet access at home.

"We're going to get it done before this year is over with," he vowed.

In the meantime, Davison continues to serve free breakfast at Jane Boyd Community House, 943 14th Ave. SE, weekdays from 5:45 to 7:30 a.m.

Donations may be mailed to HD Youth Center, PO Box 74273, Cedar Rapids IA 52407. More information is available from Davison, at (319) 329-8841, and Olmstead, at (319) 362-4234.

Davison said he's looking for a volunteer driver for the breakfast program, "and we could use a little more help serving breakfast on a Monday and Thursday."