United Way open house

features childhood center

By Ellen Sussman

Special to the Green Valley News

As part of their goal to see that children in Southern Pima County enter school ready to succeed, the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona held an Open House at the Sahuarita Unified School District Early Childhood Center last week.

Providing early education and care, the 13,000-square-foot facility on Calle de Tiendas that opened in April 2006 is a colorful, happy and educationally enriching place for 178 young learners to acquire early learning skills.

Vanessa Felty, program manager for the Early Childhood School Readiness Initiative, said there was a need for high-quality early education to see that the brain develops properly.

Carol Webb, director of the Early Childhood Center, led a group in singing “This Land is Your Land” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

Colorful art work and charts charts filled the walls. Motivating learning centers and a huge selection of appealing children’s books filled the library space.

Leticia Coronado-Hansen, United Way’s director of major gifts, introduced speakers who talked about ways the agency is making a difference in the lives families and seniors as well as children.

With a focus on quality early education in Sahuarita, Green Valley, Amado and Arivaca, chair of United Way’s Early Childhood Partnership of Southern Pima County Judy Cutler said, “As a first grade teacher for 15 years I was able to see differences in children who came to school ready to learn and succeed.”

Presently, the partnership consists of five area pre-schools—SUSD’s Early Childhood Center, Los Ninos del Valle, Continental Pre-School, Shepherd’s Fold Pre-School and Sopori’s Even Start Family Literacy Program and 15 home-based family childcare providers.

Chris Kang, executive director of Green Valley Assistance Services, said even in a senior community there is the need to supply families with the tools to sustain themselves; 502 families received needed help in 2007 with assistance from United Way.

Debbie Adams, deputy director of the Pima County Office on Aging, said assistance is available for seniors with a 40-year age span, from newly-retired seniors to older and frail seniors to some who are 100 years old and living well independently.

Part of United Way’s goal says, “Through partnerships with agencies, neighborhoods, government and businesses, United Way is ensuring children are ready to succeed, families are financially stable and seniors lead independent, active lives.”

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.