Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to El Campito Child Development Center in South Bend.
El Campito offers early childhood education, after school programs and community-based learning to children throughout South Bend.
The grant was one of six awarded in 2022 by the foundation, which is funded by Barnes & Thornburg’s lawyers and staff, who together raised $300,000.
“The importance of high-quality early child education programs like El Campito in our community cannot be overstated and we are proud to be able to support this gem, which has helped jump-start so many children’s success stories,” John Smarrella, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s South Bend and Elkhart offices, said in a release.
El Campito has grown out of a home-based childcare provider in the 1970s to aid immigrant families to become one of South Bend’s oldest nonprofit child development centers. It is the only licensed National Association for the Education of Young Children-accredited bilingual child development center in northern Indiana
“This generous funding will be used to enhance our mission, which is to promote the educational, social, and economic success of culturally diverse children and their families. We have served low-income and Spanish-speaking families for over 50 years, and in order to continue that mission, we are working on updating our facility in order to be able to serve a higher number of families in the community to make a greater impact,” El Campito’s Director of Development and Community Outreach Aleyna Mitchell said in a release. “This area is considered a childcare desert, meaning we have more children than available enrollments. We are so thankful for this gift to get us on the road of achieving our vision.”
El Campito serves approximately 75 students each year with programs focused on active learning based on solid development principles to foster physical, emotional, social, and intellectual capacities in all children.
“It is heartwarming to watch the foundation’s grants be put to work in such powerful ways by organizations like El Campito Child Development Center,” said Connie Lahn, partner at Barnes & Thornburg and president of the foundation’s board of directors in a release. “We are pleased to be able to support early childhood education, which is so important to maintaining solid families, neighborhoods, communities and businesses.”
Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation goal is to raise awareness, dedicate resources and advocate for equal opportunities and justice for people of color.
The foundation was established in 2020 with financial support through personal donations from lawyers and staff in each of the firm’s offices.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.