Stepping Stones Early Learning Center in Knoxville is over halfway to reaching their fundraising goal for their ‘STEP UP” capital campaign. 

The center, which opened in 2006, launched this capital campaign to try and pay off the remaining debt from a mortgage they took out to initially build the center. The goal of the capital campaign is to raise $600,000 to pay off the loan from the original build and allow for payments to be redirected towards ongoing costs, improvements, wages, and potential expansion in the future. The center has received several large donations from businesses, community foundations, and individuals who have stepped up for this cause, and the center currently has raised $350,000. Stepping Stones Board President Erika Pleggenkuhle encourages people to continue to donate to the capital campaign and she says a place like Stepping Stones is crucial for the growth happening in Knoxville. 

“If you are recruiting young families and they come to see they don’t have a place to send their children for their daycare and early childhood services that’s going to be a very crucial factor in deciding if they’re going to come work in the community. It’s really important that we’re able to maintain the spots that we have by staffing appropriately and that’s really the driving factor behind what makes this so vital for our community.” 

Donations can be made by sending a check to Stepping Stones Early Learning Center, 300 Panther Drive, Knoxville, Iowa 50138. Venmo: knoxvillesteppingstones or by making an online donation through their website at www.knoxvillesteppingstones.com/donate. Hear more from Erika Pleggenkuhle about the “STEP UP” capital campaign on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.