For 85 years their mission has been uniting families, but now it’s the staff at Lena Pope that’s being united in their new home.
On Sunday community members cut the ribbon on the foundation’s new Fort Worth campus at 3200 Sanguinet Street.
The location features most of the foundation’s services that have long been split up between 3 buildings in the city.
"It's easier to work as a team when you're all under one roof,” said Director of Development Marilyn Sammons, "we all have the same passion."
The campus includes a community center named for Amon Carter [former Fort Worth mayor, Star-Telegram Publisher and Founder of NBC 5] that will function as a large counseling and organizing space as well as a place to host events and open up to the community.
Their main function as a family counseling service has been greatly expanded with a new, multi-room space.
“This is really the heart and soul because basically what we're trying to do is get with those children and get with those families before they have issues that tear them apart,” said Sammons.
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Counselors at the facility are hired for their high levels of training in methods like play therapy to help children better open up and communicate emotions through tough times, staff members said.
Each room in the facility is named for one of Lena Pope’s various homes and facilities throughout their 85 year history; including their first spot on Broadway in Fort Worth where Lena Pope herself worked out of a basement to help house and give hope to orphaned children.
Also at the campus is one of their newest additions: an early childhood learning center.
They have space for children 6-weeks old up to 5-years to provide daycare.
"It's really designed for the working families in our community,” said Executive Director Todd Landry. “It's open every day from 6:30 in the morning to 6 at night and we meet all of the highest accreditation standards in the industry."
The centerpiece of the childcare center is a Nature Exploration Playground which foundation leaders designed out of completely natural materials to give kids a safe place to explore nature and learn through activity.
All together the campus was built thanks to a multi-year capital campaign that raised $10 million for the new building and an additional $3 million to close the debt on the foundation’s Chapel Hill Academy.
"We think Mrs. Pope would tell us good job,” said Landry.
