Center for Children Garden Project

The Western Slope Center for Children (d.b.a. "The Center for Children") has a garden.

Thanks to a generous anonymous donation, we've been fortunate to create a beautiful outdoor space for child victims and their families to enjoy during visits to our facility. While the bulk of the hardscaping work is finished, there's still a short way to go.

Building a refuge for children...

... one brick at a time.

As you can see, we're a little empty right now in our garden. Plants and trees simply need time to grow, but there are elements within our control that we need to move forward on to make this space more suitable for child victims.

1. THERAPY GARDEN BOXES- The most special reason behind the idea for this space was its ability to be used for healing. We want this area to be inviting and engaging for kids to help them on their journey of healing.
   • Plan: To build garden boxes as an "interaction point" for children in the garden. Children will have the opportunity to plant and grow vegetation that will be a representation of their personal healing story beyond abuse. Their therapist will be able to offer meaningful treatment lessons that can be customized and relevant to each child as their plants grow and blossom into beautiful things!
   • Est. Cost: $1,500.00
2. CHILD-SAFE FLOORING- The garden was carved out of a corner of unused parking lot space. While grass covers roughly 50% of the square footage, you'll see in the images above some of that old, corroded blacktop still remains.
   • Plan: To level the remaining lot surface and lay interlocking, child-safe playground tiles so that children and their caregivers can happily roam the entire area of the garden in comfort.
   • Est. Cost: $8,000.00
3. SECURITY FEATURES- Per our national charter, and as one might expect with a child advocacy center, we place a premium on child safety at our facility. One of our mandates is to ensure that we have eyes on children at all times while they visit with us.
   • Plan: We currently have a camera on the northwest corner of the building that gives a bird's eye view of the northwest corner of the parking lot. This camera would be relocated to allow for better coverage over the wide north property area, including the northeast corner that the garden inhabits.
   • Cost: $5,500.00

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

The Center for Children genuinely appreciates every donor who wants to make a child's tomorrow by helping today. Truly, we are grateful for every donation and sacrifice made by our community to help achieve this specific goal, and will accept any amount contributed towards this project because of it. For those who wish to contribute more, however, we have a special offer.

At the entryway to the garden some space has been intentionally left to create a Gateway of Givers. For the first 120 donors who contribute a minimum of $125.00 to the campaign, we will have a special brick (4" x 8") commissioned with your name or the name of a child whom you love. The bricks will be placed in the soil at the base of the gate so that every person who enters the garden will know that it was built with the compassion of those who would not let child abuse stand in our community.

Any donations beyond this goal will go towards further beautification of the garden and the rest of the outdoor premises to make our space a warm, comfortable refuge for child abuse victims who need it.

QUESTIONS?

For questions or clarifications, please feel free to contact us. You can call our main office line at 970-245-3788 or reach out via email to Annie Lampard at Annie@centerforchildrencac.org.

Thank you for considering how you can be a part of the help, hope, and healing happening at The Center for Children.