From CARING for Children:
CARING FOR CHILDREN OPENS NEW PLAYGROUND
ASHEVILLE, NC – On Saturday, April 23, 2016 from 10AM to 2PM, CARING for Children will host a ribbon cutting ceremony and volunteer appreciation event to celebrate the opening of a new playground at its 50 Reddick Road offices in East Asheville. The public is invited to attend.
The playground project, which took over a year to complete, was designed and constructed through the efforts of the Red Thread Visionaries, a local group of three women who organized fundraisers, solicited donations from local businesses, recruited over 60 women volunteers and were involved in every step of the building process. “The project brought many local women together of different ages and walks of life. It was empowering for many women who had never driven a nail or even picked up a power tool! So many new friendships were made – and in the end, our kids have a safe, fun playground to enjoy!” said Development Director Terri Bowman.
Doug Hill (CFC Board Member and owner of Goforth Builders) and his son Nick were also impressed with the way the female work teams performed. The two men spent several weekends volunteering their time, heavy equipment operation and expertise in grading, site construction and landscaping. “These ladies are hard workers – they just don’t quit!” said Doug Hill who was quite impressed with their efforts. “I’m glad they’re not my competition!”
The playground project includes a state-of-the-art play area, a new deck, and landscaping at the CARING Clinic and Foster Care offices. Over 1,100 children and families visit the CARING Clinic and foster care offices annually. The new playground will be a valuable resource for mental health counselors who can take their young clients outside to talk about their problems and conduct play therapy. It will also be used by children in the foster care program who visit social workers with their foster parents for meetings. Young children and families from around East Asheville have already discovered the spacious new playground complete with pirate ship, swings, monkey bars and slides.
CARING for Children would like to thank the Red Thread Visionaries – Sarah Gilgen, Dena Brown and Lori Taranto. Without their passion, vision and determination, our new playground, deck and landscaping would not have been possible. We would also like to recognize and thank the Caring businesses and individuals who supported the project and gave so generously of their resources, talents and time: Goforth Builders, Lowe’s, PlayNation of WNC, Publix Super Market Charities, Sam’s Club/Walmart, Asheville Mulch Yard, T.P. Howards Plumbing, Altamont Brewing, John Mendelsohn, Asheville Playgrounds, Dickie’s Barbecue Pit and so many others.
The Playground Dedication and Volunteer Appreciation will be held on Saturday, April 23rd from 10AM to 2PM. The family-style event will include tours of the CARING Clinic, Foster Care parenting information, refreshments and ribbon-cutting. Children and families are welcome!
I simply love the Red Thread Visionaries & the strong empowering bond these ladies set forth to help mankind one project at a time! Kathy & I can’t wait to be apart of this group & lend a helpful hand. Can’t wait to see you gals Lori, Diana King, Sue Rossignol great picture. Keep up the great work!
The Red Thread Visionaries are Sarah Gilgen, Lori Taranto and Dena Brown. Unfortunately, the caption picture does not feature these women, but 3 other very helpful and “powerful” women who came out and helped with our project. Visit our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Caring4ChildrenNC) and see the real Red Thread Visionaries leaders! Or better yet, come out and meet them in person tomorrow (4/23/16 from 10A-2P) at CARING for Children’s 50 Reddick Road location. Bring the kids!