Company to Receive Gift From First Lady

The first lady said Friday that she will donate the earnings from her book, “It Takes a Village,” to children’s hospitals and youth-oriented programs, and part of the first payment will go to a local builder of educational centers.

EEXCEL Inc. is one of 15 hospitals and 23 youth-oriented programs that the first lady designated as recipients of the first installment, a total of about $750,000.

Hillary Rodham Clinton made the announcement during a visit to the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington. The only other Southern California entity on the list was Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, which will get $25,000.

“We’re excited,” EEXCEL operations manager Tammie Meigs said Friday about the $5,000 her company will receive. “We got a call two days ago from the first lady’s office, but didn’t know what it was for. Now we do.”

EEXCEL, which stands for Educational Excellence for Children with Environmental Limitations, is a San Juan Capistrano company that buys problem low-income housing projects and tries to turn them around by installing educational centers in the building complexes.

Kent Salveson founded the company in May 1991 with the intent of strengthening ties between home and school and making education, health care and family counseling more accessible to the poor, Meigs said.

In every building project, EEXCEL sets aside space to create classrooms or learning centers, which are staffed with hired tutors and equipped with computers, books and school supplies.

All residents and children living in the complex are free to use the facilities, which offer everything from homework tutoring and art centers to computer, job training and resume writing classes. Youth-oriented groups also use the space as a community meeting place.

Clinton singled out the EEXCEL in her “Village” book, detailing how the company worked with USC students to open a classroom and tutoring center in a 46-unit complex in Los Angeles. The company has since sold the property. It now owns and operates low-income buildings in Van Nuys and West Sacramento.

“I think it’s an honor to be even mentioned in the book,” Meigs said. “The $5,000 is an added bonus.”

Meigs said the first lady’s donation will probably go toward buying computer software or classroom supplies for both the Van Nuys and West Sacramento complexes.