SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Springfield Area Parent Child Center (SAPCC) has been working tirelessly for the past two years to secure grant funding, in order to purchase the building known by locals as “KJ’s,” located at 51 Jack and Jill Lane in North Springfield, Vt. Their work finally paid off on March 31, when they signed the papers and were handed the keys.
This building will soon become a Workforce Development and Training Center that will provide educational opportunities to the public, participants of SAPCC’s programs, and professionals. The banquet hall can hold up to 198 people. One of SAPCC’s major goals is to improve and expand childcare in the greater region by coordinating professional development opportunities for early childhood educators in this space.
Weekly Bingo will continue in the banquet hall, as it has for many years, every Friday at 6 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Doors open an hour or so before, for people to get set up with their games.
What was previously the bar area at KJ’s will be renovated to become a community thrift store by 2024, where SAPCC’s Learning Together participants, who are primarily young mothers, will learn valuable retail and customer service skills, in preparation for entering the workforce.
SAPCC’s main building at 80 Jack and Jill Lane was built in 2011. This building houses their many growing family support programs, including Children’s Integrated Services, Child Care Financial Assistance and Referral, Parent Education, the Welcome Baby Bag Program, the Diaper Bank, the Learning Together Program, PlayWorks Child Center, and more. Needless to say, the space in this building has been limited for some time now.
SAPCC also owns the building directly across from KJ’s at 50 Jack and Jill Lane, which is home to affordable apartments, the Children’s Advocacy Center, and an indoor play space used for playgroups and other gatherings.
With the purchase of the old KJ’s Place building, SAPCC now has a campus where they will have plenty of room to continue expanding their programs to build bridges of support for children, families, and caregivers in the region.
SAPCC would like to thank Mascoma Bank, who has been a diligent supporter of this project, along with the National Borders Regional Commission, which provided a grant for half the cost of the building. Additional support has been provided by the Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development, the Couch Family Foundation, and the Vermont Community Foundation.
Continued fundraising efforts through SAPCC’s Capital Campaign will go toward supporting necessary building repairs, renovations to the bar area to create a retail space, safety and security upgrades, and equipment and technology needs for both the thrift store and training center. To support this effort, please visit our website at www.sapcc-vt.org.