S.A.Y. Yes! — an after-school tutoring program that Biola students volunteer with — narrowly avoided being shut down due to a lack of funds earlier this month.

The club needed $20,000 by April 15. Within the time limit, the Central City Community Church, who created S.A.Y. Yes! was able to raise more than enough funds with the help of donors to continue for another six months.

Rebecca Johnson, a junior double majoring in English and sociology, first heard of the lack of funds before Easter break. As a student tutor for two years, Johnson was relieved to hear of the received funding.

DONATIONS FOR S.A.Y. YES!

“[CCCC is] privately funded by donors. Right now they are trying to get people to sign up for monthly donating,” she said.

On the S.A.Y. Yes! Facebook page, a post was made after the payment deadline, giving readers the option to donate online.

"We have survived this bump in the road, but we know that it is not the first nor will it be the last for this organization. … Again, thank you to everyone who helped whether it was through donations or prayers, your support HAS made a difference!” the post read.

TUTORING CHILDREN FROM SKID ROW AREA

The children who come to be tutored at CCCC are typically from the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. They usually live nearby in shelters, hotels or low-income housing, according to Johnson.

“I enjoy the importance of consistency with these kids,” she said of the children she tutors. “It’s kind of a place in between home and school, because both places are very difficult for them. It creates a space where they are allowed to be kids and somewhat free of the hardships they face.”

STUDENTS GET INVOLVED

Every student has a designated day they tutor, with a different group of tutors going to CCCC daily.  Johnson tutors every Monday and believes S.A.Y. Yes! is a time-consuming commitment for Biola students who want to tutor.

“We do it every week, so it’s very much a part of our lives,” she said.

The group of Biola students who tutor is about 20 to 25 people. Every afternoon there are about six or seven children. Sometimes there can be up to 20 kids depending on which families bring their children, Johnson said. S.A.Y. Yes! tries to make the tutoring experience as individualized as possible for the elementary kids, keeping it at about three kids per tutor.

KIDS WILL VISIT BIOLA'S CAMPUS

Soon, the tutors will be hosting the kids overnight in rooms in Emerson and Horton Halls. The semesterly tradition features going to parks, spending time with college students and eating in the Caf.

“They love the Caf,” Johnson said. “They eat slurpees at like 9 in the morning; they go crazy!”

Unlike the other ministries on campus, S.A.Y. Yes! tutors are interested in getting Biola students back into the city of LA, according to Johnson.

“We do exploratory trips every semester,” Johnson said. “We did a metro trip. We did a walking trip from Skid Row into the financial district. We want to explore and see the people of the city, to get Biola to be more of a presence there.”