Fletcher Place Community Center (FPCC) is thrilled to announce the grand opening event of the REACH Early Learning Center sponsored by Stansfield Circle at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30. Tours of newly renovated FPCC and a small plate reception will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. with remarks and ribbon-cutting beginning promptly at 5:30 p.m. FPCC welcomes the public to attend and get to know the center.
About REACH Early Learning Center
Three short years ago, the FPCC board was having tough discussions about the future of the preschool. For more than 85 years, FPCC, in collaboration with Stansfield Circle, has hosted a “pay as you can” preschool program; but, with few students able to pay, the community center was often left praying they would receive enough donations to get through the school year. Recognizing the southeast neighborhood of Indianapolis houses the largest number of children under 5 years of age – along with the role education can play in breaking the cycle of poverty – the FPCC board recommitted to investing in a quality preschool program.
As a safe, traditional Paths-to-Quality Level 3 preschool, the REACH Early Learning Center is focused on encouraging children to recognize their value and REACH for their full potential by building a preschool community as diverse as the community surrounding FPCC. REACH Early Learning Center will enroll full-pay, “On My Way” voucher, and need-based scholarship students.
“We are honored that United Way and the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation selected us to invest in the future of preschool in this area,” said Melissa Drew, executive director. “This year, we plan to enroll a diverse class of 30 students ages 3 and 4 in our four classrooms. We look forward to building that up to a full enrollment of 80 in the future.”
About Fletcher Place Community Center
Since 1872, Fletcher Place Community Center, a faith-based non-profit community center, has provided immediate aid for poor and homeless persons in the southeast side of Indianapolis. Servicing the community with more than 25,000 hot meals from the kitchen and 2,500 pounds of produce from the community garden in 2017, FPCC also offers its clients a free food pantry and thrift store, Art in the City summer day camp, Christmas Time Assistance Program, and now the REACH Early Learning Center.
“We’ve long been known for our immediate need services, but looking at the importance of this new project, we realize the first place you start to break the cycle of poverty is little kids and education,” said Randy Sorrell, Chairman of the Board.