Chambliss Center for Children has purchased the former Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians’ building at 1936 Dayton Blvd. in Red Bank. Plans are for the site to house the agency’s second thrift store and an early childhood education center.
Chambliss Center for Children is currently wrapping up a $5.5 million capital campaign. One of the initiatives of that campaign is for expansion of the agency’s early childhood education and childcare program in order to serve more at-risk children in the community. The Red Bank community was identified as an area in need. This location will have a nearly 4,000-square-foot early childhood education and childcare center, serving children ages 6 weeks through PreK. The program is an extension of Chambliss Center for Children and will have the same quality and curriculum as the main campus in Brainerd, said officials.
Another of the campaign initiatives is to expand sustainability programs, one of which is opening a second thrift store location. The agency currently has a store on Brainerd Road, which contributes a significant amount each year to the programs of the organization. This new location will consist of approximately 9,000 square feet and will provide an opportunity to those living in the north Hamilton County area a convenient location to shop and donate.
“We were very happy to find this size property in this location that can house both a thrift store and a childcare center, allowing us to move forward with two critical initiatives,” says Gloria Miller, vice president of Special Projects for Chambliss Center for Children. “We are also thrilled that this property will continue to serve children in this community as the Girl Scouts have done on this site for several decades.”
With a new focus on how they operate, the Girl Scout council no longer needs the building’s 13,500 square feet. The new Girl Scout office and shop will be located at 6106 Enterprise Park Dr. They will host a grand opening for the public Thursday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
“Our staff members are taking the Girl Scout program out into communities where girls and volunteers live, rather than asking them to come to us,” says Lynne Lawson Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians. “It’s a win-win for us to move to a space that’s the right size and to see our former building, with over 30 years of Girl Scout memories, be utilized by another organization serving the youth and the community.”