Children First Receives $7.5K Grant

From Children First:

Children First recently received a $7,500 grant from the Eluned & Edward Russell Charitable Foundation to outfit a new infant and toddler classroom at the agency’s Helen R. Payne Center, located on 33rd Street in Sarasota. The historic site is one of 13 early learning centers Children First operates in Sarasota County for at-risk children under age five.

Money from the grant will go toward the purchase of age-appropriate furnishings, equipment and other educational and developmental resources needed to enhance Children First’s services to children three years and younger living in Sarasota’s Newtown community. Such programs are critical given research which shows that early access to fundamentals like reading, vocabulary, nutrition and a nurturing environment plays an essential role in helping children living in poverty to develop on pace with their peers.

Over 90% of the children and families served by Children First live at or below the federal poverty level of $20,160 for a family of three.

“Through this grant, the Eluned & Edward Russell Charitable Foundation is helping ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community get a strong foundation on which to learn and grow,” said Philip Tavill, president & CEO of Children First. “We are deeply grateful to them for their generosity.”

Image via Shutterstock