Saturday September 15, 2012

BELLOWS FALLS -- With winter just around the corner, Parks Place is working hard to make sure that it raises the necessary funds to purchase 42 new windows, most of which date to when the original structure that houses the agency was built in the early 1900s. A number of windows are no longer functional and cannot be opened to let in the welcomed breezes because they remain stuck or because they cannot be fitted with appropriate screens.

Each fall volunteers spend significant time attaching plastic to the windows throughout the building to keep out drafts, a practice that fails to work very well. The new windows will be installed in mid-October.

Generous donors have responded to the agency’s requests for support, contributing just under $5,000 -- enough to underwrite the cost of nearly half of the new windows. "We still have a ways to go," said Director Barbara Ternes. "But I know we will meet our goal given the past, overwhelming investment in our agency by the community."

The cost of one window is $275. Donors who give at that level will be recognized with a decorative, brass plate displaying their family name. The campaign is also a great way to make a memorial gift or a class memorial gift, sharing the cost amongst family and friends. "The naming opportunity is particularly exciting to donors, said Development Director Margaret Grisczenkow who purchased a window in memory of her great-aunt Margaret E. O’Brien,

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as persons can leave a permanent mark on such a special place that has been central to so many lives and the community."

People are also pledging donations over time, making installment payments to defray the cost.

Parks Place Community Resource Center was founded by a group of concerned teachers, parents and community members in 1992 to address the needs of families, particularly children, of the Greater Falls Region. The agency’s mission is to connect people with the information, education and resources that they need to move their lives forward.

There are 35 health, education and human service providers that work out of Parks Place. Anyone who is interested in donating should contact Margaret Grisczenkow at 802-463-9927, ext. 109 or e-mail at Margaret@parksplacevt.org.