EDWARDSVILLE - Back-to-school is always a bittersweet time of the year. The Edwardsville YMCA’s Allison Cassens Early Childhood Development Center knows how parents feel as they prepare to send 17 kids off to kindergarten. For the second year in a row the kids will be prepared for school thanks to a very generous donation from the Metro Community Church.
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Director Crystal Andres said, “We have watched these kids grow; some since they were infants. It is always hard to see anyone leave, but we are very excited to watch them excel for years to come.”
The church pulled together contributions in order to provide all 17 kids with a backpack, school supplies and new sneakers.
“It is so uplifting to see the children so excited when they received their school supplies. Some of our children's families need financial assistance, so trying to afford all of this is a huge burden; this was a true blessing for them. Our other families said that they would like to pay it forward with what their child received, which will help another child in need. This partnership between the YMCA and Metro Community Church is just part of the wonderful benefits these kids receive while attending the center. We are very blessed to have such a generous community,” said Andres.
The Allison Cassens Early Childhood Development Center serves children from 6 weeks old through 5 years old and provides enrichment programs including Spanish, Tumbling, Music and Art at no additional cost.
Andres reflects on the benefits the center offers, “Not only do these children have wonderful teachers, but they also have the opportunity to learn another language and different forms of art at such a young age. We are also able to have qualified instructors from the Y teach them tumbling and music. The kids never want to miss any of these programs. In addition to these classes, they receive one free book a month through ‘The Imagination Library’. We want to make sure the children are prepared for their next step in education.”
The Allison Cassens Early Childhood Development Center is located at 190 Cottonwood Road near Wal-Mart in Glen Carbon. They are open Monday-Friday from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information about registration or to set up a tour, please contact the center at (618) 288-3232.
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