Contractor group’s donation helps The Learning Center open new Washington location

Children at The Learning Center for Families hold a $6,000 donation check presented by the Associated General Contractors of Utah, St. George, Utah, Nov. 30, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – A donation to The Learning Center for Families from the Associated General Contractors of Utah will provide seed money to help open a new location in Washington City.

Representatives of the Associated General Contractors of Utah present a $6,000 donation to The Learning Center for Families, St. George, Utah, Nov. 30, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Representatives of the Associated General Contractors of Utah present a $6,000 donation to The Learning Center for Families, St. George, Utah, Nov. 30, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News

The Learning Center helps 500 families each week throughout Washington County and the Arizona Strip, providing support to families and services for infants and toddlers facing challenges such as developmental problems, disabilities, poor health or poverty.

The $6,000 donation was made in a brief ceremony Monday morning at The Learning Center for Families’ main office at 2044 S. Mesa Palms Drive in St. George and was attended by several representatives of the contractors association.

“We are thrilled to be the recipients of such a generous gift from the AGC of Utah which will really help us meet the growing need in Washington City,” TLC Executive Director Suzanne Leonelli said in a press statement.

The Learning Center is a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization funded through a variety of sources, which include state and federal grants, with a lot of help from private donations.

“We’re grateful that we have an opportunity to do what we call community give-back,” Richard Thorn, president of Associated General Contractors, said.

“We believe in TLC. It sounds like you’re doing some amazing things and exercising some really positive influence on some young lives that need it,” Thorn said. “It means a lot to us to see what you’re doing.”

The Learning Center operates four satellite family centers in addition to its main office. The centers in St. George and Hurricane, and those in Beaver Dam and Colorado City, Arizona, offer programs such as playgroups and parent support.

The Learning Center for Families Executive Director Suzanne Leonnelli with one of the children the organization helps, St. George, Utah, Nov. 30, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
The Learning Center for Families Executive Director Suzanne Leonnelli with one of the children the organization helps, St. George, Utah, Nov. 30, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News

“Most of the programs that we do are home-based,” Leonelli said, “so this gives them (participants) an opportunity for the socialization with other parents.”

The Learning Center will start looking for office space for the new Washington family center in January 2016.

The Learning Center offers several programs including Early Intervention, Early Head Start, Parents as Teachers and Kindermusik.

The organization has 70 employees and more than 200 volunteers and has helped more than 13,000 families and young children since 1993.

Resources

  • The Learning Center for Families Web page
  • Associated General Contractors of Utah Web page

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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