8/20/14 Lincoln Way move for Community Action Wayne/Medina pushed back to 2015

  • By Nick Sabo
  • August 20, 2014
  • 375
                        
SUMMARY: New location will allow for CAWM to cut down on overhead, provide a home for Wooster Head Start. Community Action Wayne/Medina expects to be in its new home at Lincoln Way Elementary by 2015, bringing Wooster Head Start and many anti-poverty assistance services under one roof. CAWM President/CEO Melissa Pearce said the non-profit will not meet its goal of moving into Lincoln Way by the end of 2014. However, the project is still moving forward and is in the process of finalizing financing and construction plans, Pearce said. “We are learning, just like any project of this magnitude, that it costs more and takes more time than you expect,” Pearce said. “We are just patiently moving through the process as best we can.” Probably the biggest unexpected expense was the discovery that Lincoln Way will need a new roof, Pearce said. Pearce said CAWM is looking forward to day they can move in. CAWM currently has offices and service points scattered in a variety of locations, and Lincoln Way will combine many of these locations into one location, Pearce said. The former elementary will be updated to serve as a home to CAWM’s administration, human resources, economic assistance, housing and support services, as well as Wooster Head Start and Early Head Start. Pearce said the construction at Lincoln Way will center around preparing the elementary for its new role as an office building focused on welcoming, and assisting, clients. That the new offices have that welcoming feel is particularly important, Pearce said. “If you walk into an environment that is friendly and bright, the more hopeful and receptive you are as we assist you on your journey,” Pearce said. “It’s important that you feel like a welcome guest.” Lincoln Way had much to recommend itself as a CAWM’s permanent base. CAWM currently leases space for its programs, and those leases can go up. By going with a central location it owns, CAWM should be able to cut down on overhead costs, Pearce said. The school is almost move-in ready for the Head Start program. It already has the classrooms for the 101 kids served by Wooster Head Start, and early Head Start. The gym and playground fit into Head Start as well, and CAWM further intends to continue a tradition at Lincoln Way of making these facilities open to the community. Much of the construction will involve the transition from school to office space, and improving the areas that are the used for Head Start. The school’s current kitchen is a satellite unit that will have to be replaced with a commercial kitchen, and technology upgrades will be necessary. One of the most important upgrades will be security, particularly for Head Start, Pearce said. A training room will also be part of construction. The location itself is a further plus, Donna Holmes, director of housing and economic assistance said, because it is central to a large number of clients that CAWM serves. “The area is where a large portion of our main population lives,” Holmes said. “It will be accessible because it is within walking distance” and is in an area served by transit, Holmes said. Pearce estimates that 10,000 will be served directly through the Lincoln Way building alone. The Rittman Food Pantry and services in Medina county will continue to operate within their respective communities, as will the other Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Pearce she is very confident that the move into Lincoln Way will be finalized by 2015. The new roof, which was not part of the original plans, will need to be completed with help from the community, Pearce said. To learn more about Community Action Wayne/Medina, visit their website, www.cawm.org


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