This Just In!
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Blum & Poe
gallery has pledged $25,000 to buy one Woodworking Bus!

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED: A few weeks ago, our beloved Woodworking Bus unexpectedly cracked her engine block. I will be honest…tears were shed. This was the last fully-functioning Woodworking Bus—her partner was "retired" two years ago due to "blown rings," which is a virtually non-repairable prelude to a blown engine.

Originally manufactured in 1989, these GM Transit Buses were never designed to last 23 years.

Replacing the engine is futile. We needed to replace the bus.

Right before Thanksgiving, we asked our community, to help us raise $25,000 by January 1st to purchase a "new" bus... one that will last another 15 to 20 years.

Blum & Poe heard the news and decided to give us a miracle that will give a whole new generation of children the opportunity to experience the magic of the Woodworking Bus!

We have raised an additional $5,000 from the community that will go towards the supporting 2nd bus and the woodworking program.

THE WHOLE STORY
Over the past 15 years, our two beloved Woodworking Buses have delivered tool-based art, design, and fabrication programming to over 20,000 children in LA County. We are the only program of our kind in LA County.

Didn't You Just Build New Mobile Classrooms On Trailers?
Yes! We just built 2 new higher-capacity mobile art classrooms on trailers — and both of these trailers are already booked to capacity throughout the school day!

These new trailers can deliver our classic Woodworking program to kids age 5-11. They can also accommodate a wide array of new kinds of tools and materials that the Woodworking Buses can't. The trailers are fully-equipped art studios on wheels that permit our teaching artists to develop and deliver curriculum based on their own studio practice.

One of these trailers is dedicated to serving all of the 3rd graders through PUSD's My Masterpieces curriculum. The other is going into residency at John Muir High School this winter—teaching a textile-based, site specific installation class.



Too Much Demand, Not Enough Vehicles
The problem is, with both of these new trailer classrooms booked solid during the entire school day, there's no way we can also use them to deliver tuition-based _after-school_ programs to kids throughout LA County— something that's vital to Side Street's mission, history, and fiscal health. Even with the addition of the new trailer classrooms, the Woodworking Buses are essential to our earned income strategy. After school programs throughout LA County pay for our services, and that helps make our organization sustainable. For example: When we "retired" one of our buses a couple of years ago, we lost $40,000 of earned income in one year. If you think about it, if we buy a $25,000 replacement bus right now, it's income potential represents a 160% return on investment in just one year. Students of all means need our programming. Those that pay for our program help us give the program away to those that _can't_ pay.

Didn't I just see your bus on the road yesterday?
Yes you did, but that's the "retired" back-up bus that barely runs (and could die any day now). We had to pull her out of retirement to fulfill our current after-school obligations through December.

Our plan all along has been to replace both buses by 2013. As fate would have it, it's just happening sooner than we planned. We have already raised $5,000 towards the 2nd bus.

What about the cute little adjustable work stations?
The Woodworking Buses are iconic and change children's lives every day. They are the heart and soul of Side Street Projects. We will remove the work-benches and cabinets from the old buses and transfer them to the new bus. The interior classroom set-up is strong and sturdy enough to last at least another 20 years.