Renovation work is expected to begin this month at the building at 1433 N. Meridian St. which will serve as the new home of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana.
The non-profit organization, now housed about 15 blocks north, provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-on-one relationships that change their lives for the better.
BBBSCI was able to purchase the $1.8 million building that will be its new home thanks to a $7 million campaign labeled RISE – “Reach more kids, Inspire new opportunities, Strengthen our community, Emerge boldly.”
This initiative stems from a five-year strategic plan to amplify recruitment, retention and support of both Bigs and BBBSCI employees to reach the program’s goal of serving 1,500 children in central Indiana.
The renovation is expected to be complete by April, in partnership with CORE Planning Strategies, and Capitol Construction Services.
The structure to be renovated was previously a short-lived hardware store. It offers BBBSCI more space for programming, an improvement over the organization’s current home which has only office space.
“Our quality is the strongest it’s ever been, and we are eager to make mentoring opportunities available to all children who need them,” said CEO Darcey Palmer-Shultz. “More kids and families want help, but we need to mobilize enough volunteers to reach them. To bring our great service to more kids, we need to make Big Brothers Big Sisters top of mind and engage with our community in a new way.”
The two-story building will serve as a mentoring hub for the community, offering much needed space for mentor trainings, program activities and an increased staff capacity, Palmer-Shultz said. The building will also feature racing slides for “Bigs and Littles.”
To learn more about BBBSCI and how to get involved in the organization, visit www.bebigforkids.org.
