A lead gift of $100,000 from the McLaughlin Family Companies of Scranton will help ensure that “Growth Happens Here” at the Greene County Early Learning Center (GCELC), a nonprofit childcare center serving children and families from throughout Greene county.
With one of the first business donations, the McLaughlins are supporting the construction of a new building for the center in Jefferson that will increase its capacity for care by about 50 percent to nearly 150 children.
“We are so grateful to McLaughlin Family Companies for stepping out and making a wonderful donation to the Greene County Early Learning Center. They are a tremendous example of a company who puts their county at the forefront…..in not only caring for the families and children of Greene County but also having a vision for our future growth. As a non-profit organization we would not be able to build a new childcare center without the broad support of all the communities of our county,” said Donna Sutton, GCELC fundraising co-chair.
“We have raised generations of families in Iowa and recognize the importance of reliable, safe childcare and early education,” said Mike McLaughlin, CEO of McLaughlin Family Companies. “GCELC’s new building is vital for Greene County’s continued growth and future prosperity and McLaughlin Family Companies is proud to support this ‘Growth Happens Here’ expansion.”
Prior to contacting businesses, the GCELC had raised nearly 60 percent of the $2.1 million fundraising goal. A commitment was made by the Greene County board of supervisors of $250,000; a grant was awarded to the center by Grow Greene County of $500,000; and State of Iowa grants to the center for construction totaling $469,941 were announced in March.
