During the past few years, the programs at the La Casita Learning Centre have flourished and expanded. New classrooms and increased connections to the village schools means that attendance is growing. The staff have identified the need for healthy snacks to be served to the children and that this will significantly contribute to their educational progress. The biweekly widows activities and lunches will also continue and be enhanced by the expansion of the kitchen.
The current kitchen is crowded, hot and inadequate. Many options were considered as we looked at the use of the property as a whole. It was agreed that removing the current building, digging down to street level, building a street-level multi-purpose area, a second-level kitchen, and top-level open multi-purpose area would be an excellent enhancement to the use of the space.
Through a generous grant from glasswaters foundation, for 50% of the budgeted cost, and a matching donation from one of our long-term donors, we have the funding required to begin the project. As work progresses, the final total costs will be determined.
The scope of the initiative includes the removal of the current structure, ground excavation, building of the new structure, and equipping and furnishing the new spaces.
Any donations received will contribute to building construction, which includes materials, labour, and costs associated with water, sewer, electricity hook-up and furnishing the space.
