St. David's Center Spreading Enrichment With New Minneapolis Location
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- St. David's Center for Child and Family Development changes lives every day, and for the last year they have made their services even more accessible through a downtown Minneapolis location.
Three-year-old Honore is happier at St. David's. Everything he is learning there will put him on the right path to enter school on par with other kids.
"Our mission is to build relationships that nurture the development of every child and family, and we do so through early education, early intervention and treatment, and support services for children who have special needs," said CEO Julie Sjordal.
Since May, St. David's has operated The Harman Center for Child & Family Well-Being inside of Westminster Presbyterian Church. The downtown site has allowed the nonprofit to reach an additional 440 families.
Virginie Cabral now has peace of mind knowing her son is finally getting the services he needs.
"At St. David's I have everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything," Cabral said. "He goes there for schooling, he goes there for OT, he goes there for speech therapy, so everything there in one place, which makes my life way easy."
The downtown location is the fourth for St. David's. The church provided a space that impacts more than just the clients it serves.
"It's a community health issue, and so to have organizations like St. David's Center have the opportunity to increase our services, to increase our reach, it will make a huge difference in our community," Sjordal said.
Honore just knows he feels love and is happy here. His mother has seen big improvements in her son. St. David's isn't just school, or a place – it's a critical part of their lives.
"St. David's is like a family to me," Cabral said. "When I get Honore, it's like going to grandma's house to pick him up."
WCCO-TV's Frank Vascellaro will co-host St. David's 30th annual Make Them Shine Gala on March 9. There are a limited number of tickets still available.
