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Surprise $200,000 Gift for Ravenswood Daycare Center
CHICAGO, IL (February 13, 2002) - A surprise donation of $200,000 earmarked for a church-housed daycare center was sent to Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church in Chicago last week, providing additional encouragement to a project that has been in process for more than two years.
A local family foundation sent funds to the newly formed Ravenswood Community Daycare, which plans to be operational this summer. The donation came in the form of two checks, but to
Executive Director Adrienne Edlen it represents "pennies from Heaven."
"I'm still a bit speechless about it," said Edlen. "It's an astonishing amount of money. This is really going to help us provide great service to the community."
Ravenswood Community Daycare is a partnership between Amundsen High School (AHS), Ravenswood Covenant Church (RCC) and Advocate Ravenswood Healthcare that will be run out of the church. The daycare center's board expects the facility to serve approximately 40 children of AHS students when remodeling of the building is finished. Construction efforts began after the church hosted a groundbreaking ceremony last fall.
Ravenswood Healthcare Foundation (a giving arm of Advocate Healthcare) pledged $75,000 to be used for equipment. The Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs, under the legislative sponsorship of State Sen. Lisa Madigan (17th District), pledged a gift of $125,000 to be used toward remodeling the church's education building facilities. Another $50,000 has come from a church fund source to aid startup costs.
Still, the daycare center needed to borrow money from the church in order to become operational this summer. The added $200,000 could not have come at a better time. "Most of the money will be used for construction costs," said Edlen. "Some of it will be backup money for staff costs to get them on board and trained and ready to go."
Ravenswood Covenant Community is expected to serve infants, toddlers and children in the 3-to-5-year-old age group. First priority will be given to students at nearby Amundsen High School who are trying to finish their high school education while parenting children. Other slots will be available for those in the community. Parents who graduate from AHS will be able to get daycare for their children if they choose to attend college or become employed in the area.
For more information about Ravenswood Community Daycare Center, contact Edlen or pastor Bryan Kletzing at Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church, 773-784-7091.
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