by Rasheedah Mateen
Many northwest Melrose Ave. residents breathed a sigh of relief recently when news broke of the recent acquisition of Northwest Child Development center by Melrose Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church which sits conveniently across 15th St. from the center.
Senior Pastor Shaun Arthur, wife Lauren and their two young children arrived in the area March 2016 and are committed to developing relationships and partnering with local residents and organizations to support the community and meet community needs.
The new facility, known as Melrose Avenue Child Development Center (MACDC) will be operated by the church in partnership with community organizations to provide quality childcare for families who need an affordable early childhood education program, “in a safe and nurturing environment.” It will operate year-round and offer after school and summer programs as well.
During a meeting held Thursday, Oct. 20, the church laid out plans to use the facility as a child development center for children no older than 5, discussed the momentous task of renovating the facility and also seeks to hire a director.
The meeting was also an opportunity for MACDC board members and community members to ask questions and give suggestions to help make the initiative successful.
“Fundraising for the new center is ongoing with a start up and operation budget for the first year of $120,000,” explained pastor Arthur. In addition to fundraising, sponsors will be sought to cover operation cost. Renovations of the facility are currently in progress. Still much remains to be done regarding kitchen, landscaping, parking lot, playground and window replacements to name a few. To date over 30 tons of unwanted items have been disposed of.
Part of the mission involves equipping the facility for students with disabilities in order to serve the entire community. Partnerships with other centers will be sought to meet any needs the center cannot meet.
During the meeting, a program manager from TAP raised the issue of providing a program for teenagers and young adults who wish to engage in job training. Such individuals are required to do community service learning projects. It was suggested that these students could assist through service learning verses having to pay a contractor, or work alongside contractors to help with renovations. This will have a long-term affect on students living in the area if teenagers and young adults repair the building sending a positive message to the youth.
It was also suggested that volunteering be an integral part of the success of the new center initiative.
Twenty-four college students from Holy Cross College and from Wake Forest College studying community emersion will be available to offer their help in March. The church will share updates, post job openings and share photos on its Facebook page leading up to its projected opening date in Spring of 2017.
