Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks received a $10,000 grant from the William T. Kemper Foundation, along with trustee Commerce Bank, to hep fund a future 1,180-square-foot addition to the organization's 3372 W. Battlefield Road office.
The nonprofit has now raised approximately $107,000 toward the project, short of the $140,000 expected to cover the costs of the addition, said Katie Davis, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks.
"We're not going to break ground until we completely raise our fundraising goal, because we want to be debt free," she said, noting that the nonprofit is shooting for a start date in the spring.
Additional funding has been received from the Heart of the Ozarks Sertoma Club, which awarded a $30,000 grant, and the Mabee Foundation, which awarded a $25,000 grant.
Davis said another roughly $40,000 in in-kind materials and services are being donated by:
- JE Dunn Construction Co., construction management fees;
- Rice & McMan Construction LLC and Conco Cos., excavation and foundation;
- Artisan Construction Services Inc., drywall and ceilings;
- Zickel Flooring, floor work;
- JAJ Construction, roofing;
- Toth and Associates Inc., structural engineering;
- Pond Creek Design, mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and
- Ireland Architects, architecture.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks set out to expand its operations center because of significant growth during the last five years.
The organization serves 5 percent of at-risk youth in Springfield and would be able to serve 10 percent of at-risk youth with the expansion of the facility, allowing for additional staff to be hired to help match volunteers with children. More than 1,300 children would benefit from increased staffing, according to a news release.[[In-content Ad]]