MANSFIELD, Ohio – The Office of the Mansfield Law Director and the Mansfield Police Department donated six laptops to the Culliver Reading Center on Thursday, Aug. 6, giving students an opportunity to use technology to learn.
“The law director and I are very happy to have an opportunity to help the Culliver Reading Center, especially in this way,” Mansfield Police Chief Ken Coontz said.
The six laptops – HP Chromebooks – came in various colors and are equipped with the necessary equipment to aid the students.
“The Mansfield Police Department is a community-based police department,” Coontz said. “We believe in the community-policing philosophy, and in order to carry out that philosophy, you have to engage in the community; and I think we’ve done that pretty well so far and something we will continue to get better at.”
Former director and founder of the Culliver Reading Center Inez Shepard agreed.
“The police department has been there for us since the time we opened – it’s just a different chief,” she said.
Mansfield Law Director John Spon said funds for the donation stemmed through the confiscation of drugs in the area and the prosecution of the offenders.
“From those fines, we derive a certain percentage that we can use for any purpose that will directly or indirectly benefit children, so that children don’t eventually get on drugs themselves,” Spon said. “So these are public dollars, but the chief of police and the law director’s office have decided to utilize them for this wonderful purpose.”
“It’s fantastic,” Wherry-Bey said of the donation. “With technology in the 21st century, we need to have them.
“Our kids, they get their computers at their schools and what not, but to be here in the center and actually have them working and doing reading, math, and science, that’s a plus – it’s a win-win.”
The total cost for each computer was around $300 each, which Spon said is several hundred dollars cheaper than originally quoted, adding that his office, as well as the police department, donated about $1,000 apiece.
“Many children in our community, irrespective of where they live, cannot afford computers, so it’s a privilege to be able to direct these moneys to the children, who have an opportunity to learn and become good citizens,” he said.
The Culliver Learning Center was founded in 1992, by Shepard, who said the longevity of the reading center, a nonprofit organization, has been made possible because of the people who work there.
“The staff we have does not watch the time,” Shepard said. “They are always about the children’s education and learning and love, and that’s how we’ve been able to survive all these years – because of having the best staff.”
Spon agreed.
“This is a tremendous program, and the leadership in this program, where children are taught not only the ABCs, but they’re taught how to grow up as a young lady or how to grow up as a young man and how to become good citizens, it is tremendous,” Spon said. “And if we had programs, such as the one here, that are reflected throughout our community, then we have a great, beautiful future ahead of us.”
Culliver Reading Center is located at 276 Harker St. inside Ocie Hill Neighborhood Center in downtown Mansfield.
“We need a lot of donations, we need teachers, but still it’s a place that kids can come to and call their home—and that’s the main thing: this is their place,” Shepard said.
