Nonprofit day care pursues new home in senior housing

After years of operating out of two locations, Little Trea­sures Child Care and Family Center soon could find a new and permanent home under one roof.

But first the nonprofit will need to come up with $260,000, and quickly. Peg Johnson, Little Treasures’ executive director, aims to raise the money fast enough to move her young charges into their new digs by September.

Their destination? Ecumen Lakeshore, a residential development at 4002 London Road that caters to seniors.

Judy Poss, a regional development consultant for the Ecumen Foundation, hopes a number of the 140-some seniors now residing in independent living units at Lakeshore will volunteer at Little Treasures. She noted that 43 percent of seniors have children who live 400 miles away or farther.

Poss suspects that volunteering at Little Treasures could sate the thirst some seniors have for distant family members, especially grandchildren.

“Seniors who interact with children tend to have a better outlook on life,” said Poss. “They still feel needed.”

Likewise, Johnson attests that many children crave the attention of a grandparent figure and would likely be quite receptive to senior volunteers, including male role models.

What’s more, Poss noted that seniors have much to offer youngsters.

“They have so much wisdom and patience to share,” she said. “It would be a symbiotic relationship. Both would help each other.”

Joyce Lund, a 78-year-old Lakeshore resident and former school teacher, said having a preschool right on site would remove the impediment of winter travel, making it easier to volunteer.

“I’m a very busy person, but I could see myself getting involved,” she said. “A lot would depend on what specific volunteer needs they have.”

Lund said getting involved in the community helps not only others but also offers many personal rewards.

“Volunteerism opens so many wonderful doors,” she said. “It keeps people interested and invested in life.”

Assuming Little Treasures’ fundraising efforts prove successful, Lakeshore will become the first Ecumen senior development to incorporate a preschool into the mix, according to Poss. But if it works as expected, she predicts it could serve as a model for others. Ecumen is the largest provider of senior housing in Minnesota and the fifth-largest in the nation.

For Little Treasures, the pending move could conclude a two-year search for a new home. It currently cares for infants at 213 W. Michigan St. and operates a preschool for toddlers at First Lutheran Church, 1100 E. Superior St. The preschool is in its fourth location since opening 10 years ago.

Johnson admits to having mixed feelings about leaving Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood, where Little Treasures got its start.

“I expect that we’ll lose some people and we’ll gain some, due to the move,” she said. “But it’s a myth that there are no low-income people in Lakeside.”

Little Treasurers specializes in helping both low-income and nontraditional families. Its staff of 16 people serves about 40 children during a typical week, with the help of volunteers.

Johnson said the day care prides itself on flexibility, filling a needed gap in the market.

“There’s such a need for part-time care right now with the economy the way it has been. And we’re one of the few to regularly offer that,” she said.

TO HELP
To help Little Treasures raise $260,000 for its new home at Ecumen Lake­shore, checks can be made out to Lakeshore Little Treasures Project and sent to 4002 London Road, Duluth, MN 55804.
For more information, call Judy Poss at 525-1951.

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