Four Oaks’ TotalChild reaches $6 million fundraising goal

CEDAR RAPIDS - Four Oaks has reached a $6 million fundraising goal in its TotalChild Commit to the Child campaign, the agency announced Wednesday.

Half of the money is being used to support programming for the agency's TotalChild program, which identifies at-risk children and works with them until they turn 18.

The other half of the money supports Four Oaks' Affordable Housing Network and its project to buy and renovate 100 residential properties in the Wellington Heights neighborhood, with the idea that clients the agency serves need stable housing.

The housing component of TotalChild also is working to increase the number of owner-occupied homes in the neighborhood.

The agency's fundraising campaign reached $6.05 million a little more than a year after the campaign began, the agency said.

Of the 338 contributions, 74 percent came from individuals, 24 percent from businesses and 2 percent from foundation participation.

'We thank the community for supporting this campaign that will have a tremendous impact on children and families in Linn County,” campaign chairman Kyle Skogman said.

He led the campaign with his wife, Susan, and Chris and Suzy DeWolf.

'The outpouring of generosity means that more at-risk kids and their families will be helped,” Chris DeWolf said. 'That's what we hoped would happen.”

TotalChild has 704 children enrolled in its programming and expects that number to double by 2018, the agency said.