Young people in Las Vegas were given a gift when the Dream Center began its ID card program in 2006. They were given a sense of belonging.
ID cards for attendance tracking
The Dream Center is an outreach-driven church affiliated with the International Church of Las Vegas, dedicated to helping inner city families. In the fall of 2006, the center began using ID cards to track attendance at some of its programs for young people. “Our ministry provides hope by meeting both tangible and spiritual needs,” said David Hammonds Jr., Assistant Pastor responsible for children’s programs and outreach efforts. “We provide food, clothing, life rehabilitation, education, Biblical training and much more through our numerous ministries and outreach programs. We reach hundreds of hurting and needy children and adults across all races and cultures every week.”
The Dream Center also ministers to about 300 at-risk children and teens through its Adopt-a-Block program
In addition to regular Sunday services, the Dream Center provides multiple community programs, including a Thursday night dinner that feeds up to 300 homeless individuals. Located on the west side of the city, the Dream Center also ministers to about 300 at-risk children and teens through its Adopt-a-Block program. Children enrolled in the program receive a home visit from a staff member every week and are invited back to the Dream Center for Tuesday night programs.
Adopt-a-Block program
“It takes a lot of work to stay connected to the kids and their families,” said Hammonds. When the Adopt-a-Block program began, there were approximately 20 participants, and administrators used a printed roster to take attendance. As new children joined the program, Dream Center administrators gathered information on the individuals. It wasn’t long before program acceptance exploded, and the number of participants went from 20 to 300, making the paper roster time-consuming and inefficient. “The issue for us was to get an accurate attendance for each service,” said Hammonds. “All of our students are bused to the building at much the same time. By the time we got to 300 kids, it was hard to keep track of everyone.”
Some quiet talks with potential donors resulted in the gift of a Fargo Persona C30 Card Printer, associated software and accessories
In the fall of 2006, Hammonds began thinking about issuing the participants plastic ID cards that could be scanned as they entered the buildings, making the process easier. Some quiet talks with potential donors resulted in the gift of a Fargo Persona C30 Card Printer, associated software and accessories. “The kids absolutely love the ID cards,” said Hammonds. “It gives them a sense of belonging. They wear them to school and church, and they show them proudly when they get onto our vans and buses. Some kids tell me they sleep with the cards. One boy said he even showered with his on.”
Fargo Persona C30 printer
“We did a lot of Internet shopping before we settled on the Fargo printer,” Hammonds said. “It looked like it had all of the functions in a machine I could afford.” Hammonds purchased the printer from Barcode Giant.
“The Fargo C30 was a great fit due to its small footprint and powerful engine,” said Greg Hamilton, Barcode Giant. “It’s a general law that over time, technology will get smaller and more powerful. Given the fact that David did not need to print out hundreds of cards per hour, this printer was a logical choice.”
