It all started with a 15-passenger school bus, "dirty red," Eric Green said. His mother gave it to him when he decided he wanted to help children.
Green drove around the city after school, Monday through Friday, to pick up children. In the beginning he was taking 15 children to basketball games, Buccaneer games and a weekend field trip to the state Capitol. He would also provide them with mentoring and counseling.
"My objective was to give children something to do in their spare time," said Green, who founded Everyone's Youth United, Inc, 700 43rd St. S., a non-profit youth organization, in 2000.
But Green, like many organization leaders this year, faces a challenge to keep his youth program running. The "dirty red bus" is no longer in service. Green has two new buses and a new building to pay for. He has expanded his program from just mentoring and counseling to teaching children about computers, making and recording videos, balancing a checkbook, and photography.
Earlier this year, when the program was in full swing, Green was picking up 30 children. Green said he hoped to hire several paid staff members, but because he doesn't have enough money, he still relies on volunteers.
The yearly bill has gone from $60,000 a year for the first three years, to $356,000 this year to run the program and pay for the building.
In the past, Green said he relied on local donations, but this year he needs more money. In April, Green asked the state for help. The state budget included $365,000 for Eveyone's Youth United, but the funds were cut on May 29 in a line-item veto by the governor.
Lee Ann Thomas, chief of the bureau of contracting and purchasing for the state's Department of Juvenile Justice, said Everyone's Youth United's request for money was one of many project requests listed under the department.
"The governor vetoed just about everything in the juvenile budget this year," said Thomas. "We had an estimated 40 projects and all but six were vetoed. And of those six, five were repeat programs."
Thomas said her department receives about $640 million a year to provide money to after-school, vocational, counseling and rehabilitation programs—programs such as Green's.
Green said he understood that state legislators had passed his request but Bush said no in the end. Green said he was still waiting to hear why.
"That whole list of items that were cut doesn't add up," said Green. "But I'm sure there's a reason though, I'm just waiting to hear what it is."
John Palumbo, creative arts director for Everyone's Youth United, said getting cut was very frustrating, because he was ready to begin teaching, but now the purpose of the organization has been put on hold. Palumbo became a volunteer at Everyone's Youth United in March.
"We are all so ready to get kids in here, because that's the point of the organization," said Palumbo. "It's a shame that these kids don't have anything to do, and we can't give them anything at this time."
Green said even though it was disappointing to get the answer "no," he is still going to continue his mission. He just has to figure out how.
"My biggest concern right now is how I maintain the staff until something comes through," said Green. "I guess we just keep plugging into the mom and pop grocery stores like we've always done."
Green said he is still hopeful. The organization is waiting to hear from the city of St. Petersburg about a grant for $375,000, which will pay for the building and will lift some weight off of Green's shoulders.
"Four years ago, we went out and figured out a way to make this happen," said Green. "Although it's not fair for us to put something like this together and have this, at least we're still heading in the same direction we started."
Green said he hopes to have enough money to crank up the buses again in August. Until then, they're parked outside, empty.