On a hot Saturday in July, a hearty crew of VWW staff and program graduates from 1996-2008 wielded sledgehammers and shovels to begin construction of its new office and program space in Winooski. We certainly didn’t think about building when we learned last October that our lease in Essex Junction would end in April and we would need to find new space. But we did think our new home should root us in a community where we are needed and provide easy access by public transportation. We also wanted to be closer to colleagues with whom we could collaborate and who could refer clients. And we wanted to have enough space to accommodate growth over time – or be able to sublet if we needed to in leaner years.
After an exhaustive search of properties in Chittenden County, VWW’s Board voted this spring to locate its offices in the O’Brien Community Center in Winooski. Working with J.A. Morrissey Construction, VWW will renovate and expand a former bank office at one end of the Center.
The benefits of locating in Winooski are many:
Community Center rent is set below market rate at $9 per square foot. Because we will pay rent only on the original square footage as long as it takes to amortize construction costs, VWW will save $700,000 in general operating expenses over three decades.
For the first time in our history, VWW will be able to offer on-site classroom instruction and house a career resource center that supports women in researching and pursuing job searches.
The close proximity of nonprofits supporting children and youth, including the YMCA, Refugee Resettlement, the Winooski Family Center, and the Winooski Boys & Girls Club and Teen Center, increases the childcare options available to VWW trainees and our chances of engaging family members in other VWW programs.
Because we are renovating the space specifically for VWW use, we will incorporate energy-efficient and green-build features and recycled building materials, an up front investment that will significantly reduce energy and heating bills later, critical at this time of escalating fuel costs.
Perhaps most significantly, the building will be constructed in part by the hands of graduates of our programs through scheduled opportunities for community service and participation.
We expect to open our doors by Thanksgiving. Let us know if you can help in the months ahead–by painting, pulling wire, or by providing financial support–contact Kate Dodge at kdodge@vtworksforwomen.org.
After an exhaustive search of properties in Chittenden County, VWW’s Board voted this spring to locate its offices in the O’Brien Community Center in Winooski. Working with J.A. Morrissey Construction, VWW will renovate and expand a former bank office at one end of the Center.
The benefits of locating in Winooski are many:
Community Center rent is set below market rate at $9 per square foot. Because we will pay rent only on the original square footage as long as it takes to amortize construction costs, VWW will save $700,000 in general operating expenses over three decades.
For the first time in our history, VWW will be able to offer on-site classroom instruction and house a career resource center that supports women in researching and pursuing job searches.
The close proximity of nonprofits supporting children and youth, including the YMCA, Refugee Resettlement, the Winooski Family Center, and the Winooski Boys & Girls Club and Teen Center, increases the childcare options available to VWW trainees and our chances of engaging family members in other VWW programs.
Because we are renovating the space specifically for VWW use, we will incorporate energy-efficient and green-build features and recycled building materials, an up front investment that will significantly reduce energy and heating bills later, critical at this time of escalating fuel costs.
Perhaps most significantly, the building will be constructed in part by the hands of graduates of our programs through scheduled opportunities for community service and participation.
We expect to open our doors by Thanksgiving. Let us know if you can help in the months ahead–by painting, pulling wire, or by providing financial support–contact Kate Dodge at kdodge@vtworksforwomen.org.
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