CCS Holds Fundraising Open House, Unveils Plans For New Building
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
CCS Holds Fundraising Open House, Unveils Plans For New Building
By Jennifer [email protected]
The organization also is in the process of raising funds to build a new building.
CCS held a campaign fundraising kickoff open house at its current location, 110 E. Prairie St., Warsaw, Wednesday.
Attendees toured the current facility and reviewed plans for the new location to understand the organization's vision for the future.
CCS secured the land for a new facility at the north end of Mariner Drive at the intersection of Mariners and North Point Drive in Warsaw.
CCS purchased the land in October 2008, and has raised approximately $400,000 for the building.
CCS has applied for a $400,000 grant, and is waiting to hear back if it has been awarded.
The approximate cost of the build is $1.7 million, and plans are for the new building to break ground in 2011.
CCS was founded in 1984 by a group of Kosciusko County Churches and community leaders to be a central clearinghouse for assistance to low-income residents.
CCS operates a food pantry and utility assistance program and a free clothing pantry. CCS also coordinates Project Independence, a financial assistance program, and the "Hand Up" program that helps clients break the cycle of poverty and end the need for public or private assistance.
"The current facility has allowed the agency to serve thousands of clients over the years, but there is no space for CCS programs to grow and meet current and future needs," said Stephen Possell, CCS executive director.
Possell said CCS staff and its board of directors recognized that a larger facility was needed. The board considered the option of building on the current property or moving into an existing facility that was available for purchase.
"Due to a variety of issues, including renovation and projected utility costs, it was determined that the best course of action was to build a new facility," Possell said.
He said basic client intake occurs in an open office area with little privacy, and a client having to tell a story in an open area does not provide the intended confidentiality.
Currently, three case managers share one office and they must take turns seeing clients in the only private space. There is not room for client workshops or meeting spaces for staff and volunteers, Possell said.
Possell said food storage is in an attic with low clearance of only a few feet in places. The attic is only accessible by steep stairs, making storage or large deliveries difficult.
The clothing pantry consists of handmade shelves with no place for clients to try on clothes and there is only a small space to process clothing donations.
Parking has been an issue, with a few parking spaces located at the current facility and they are often filled to capacity.
The current facility is located in a pole barn building, originally built for a landscaping business. The building was converted to offices for food and clothing pantries, and storage spaces more than 11 years ago.
Because pole barns are designed primarily for storage, the CCS building is not energy efficient, resulting in high heating and cooling costs, according to Possell.
He said the existing building is approximately 30 years old, the estimated useful life for a pole barn building.
Plans for the new 12,400-square-foot building are to house a larger food and clothing pantry, a training facility where parenting and self sufficiency workshops could be held, additional offices for staff to assist clients and a place for computers where clients can conduct job searches.
People who want to make financial contributions for the new CCS building can make a check out to CCS and put "capital campaign" in the memo line.[[In-content Ad]]
The organization also is in the process of raising funds to build a new building.
CCS held a campaign fundraising kickoff open house at its current location, 110 E. Prairie St., Warsaw, Wednesday.
Attendees toured the current facility and reviewed plans for the new location to understand the organization's vision for the future.
CCS secured the land for a new facility at the north end of Mariner Drive at the intersection of Mariners and North Point Drive in Warsaw.
CCS purchased the land in October 2008, and has raised approximately $400,000 for the building.
CCS has applied for a $400,000 grant, and is waiting to hear back if it has been awarded.
The approximate cost of the build is $1.7 million, and plans are for the new building to break ground in 2011.
CCS was founded in 1984 by a group of Kosciusko County Churches and community leaders to be a central clearinghouse for assistance to low-income residents.
CCS operates a food pantry and utility assistance program and a free clothing pantry. CCS also coordinates Project Independence, a financial assistance program, and the "Hand Up" program that helps clients break the cycle of poverty and end the need for public or private assistance.
"The current facility has allowed the agency to serve thousands of clients over the years, but there is no space for CCS programs to grow and meet current and future needs," said Stephen Possell, CCS executive director.
Possell said CCS staff and its board of directors recognized that a larger facility was needed. The board considered the option of building on the current property or moving into an existing facility that was available for purchase.
"Due to a variety of issues, including renovation and projected utility costs, it was determined that the best course of action was to build a new facility," Possell said.
He said basic client intake occurs in an open office area with little privacy, and a client having to tell a story in an open area does not provide the intended confidentiality.
Currently, three case managers share one office and they must take turns seeing clients in the only private space. There is not room for client workshops or meeting spaces for staff and volunteers, Possell said.
Possell said food storage is in an attic with low clearance of only a few feet in places. The attic is only accessible by steep stairs, making storage or large deliveries difficult.
The clothing pantry consists of handmade shelves with no place for clients to try on clothes and there is only a small space to process clothing donations.
Parking has been an issue, with a few parking spaces located at the current facility and they are often filled to capacity.
The current facility is located in a pole barn building, originally built for a landscaping business. The building was converted to offices for food and clothing pantries, and storage spaces more than 11 years ago.
Because pole barns are designed primarily for storage, the CCS building is not energy efficient, resulting in high heating and cooling costs, according to Possell.
He said the existing building is approximately 30 years old, the estimated useful life for a pole barn building.
Plans for the new 12,400-square-foot building are to house a larger food and clothing pantry, a training facility where parenting and self sufficiency workshops could be held, additional offices for staff to assist clients and a place for computers where clients can conduct job searches.
People who want to make financial contributions for the new CCS building can make a check out to CCS and put "capital campaign" in the memo line.[[In-content Ad]]
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