Loss of Dayton Urban League, a critical part of Dayton's safety net for minorities

Saving Dayton non-profits on city leaders' minds
By Amelia Robinson, Staff Writer Updated 10:23 PM Sunday, December 5, 2010.

Leaders will meet this month to discuss ways to save area nonprofits from the fate suffered by the Dayton Urban League and other recently folded nonprofits.

“We really need to take a real look at the ways we provide service and make sure we aren’t duplicating any service to maximize our dollars,” said state Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, noting that certain tasks could be consolidated. The daylong summit will include local business leaders, politicians and representatives from key nonprofits.

The closure of the Dayton Urban League is disastrous, Luckie said. The league’s board announced Friday that economic pressures meant it would temporarily cease operation after 63 years.

Dayton City Commissioner Dean Lovelace said it was time to get key community leaders, clergy and politicians together to brainstorm ways to save the Urban League.

“It’s going to be devastating given their mission was employment and training,” Lovelace said. “This is a serious blow to the minority community.”

Dayton Chamber of Commerce President Phil Parker hopes it is not too late to save the organization he called a critical part of Dayton’s nonprofit safety net.

Serving 5,000 people annually, the league’s long list of programs included education and job training for teens and adults as well as a homeless prevention program.

“I don’t believe it will an easy task for other organizations to quickly pick up the slack,” Parker said. “It might not happen and that scares me.”