There’s a new preschool in town! In a collaborative effort with the Kanawha County School Board, Union Mission’s new preschool officially opened August 21, at the Brookside campus. The preschool is the newest expansion of the Union Mission Preschool and Child Care program and will follow a structured curriculum along with an opportunity to minister to the children and their families. Preschoolers will attend Monday through Thursday, with home visits on Fridays.
Adrienne Gibbs, will head the preschool as director and Kayla Bailey will be the new preschool’s teacher. Through hard work and much prayer, these ladies have been dedicated to making their vision become reality.
“When God tells you to do something, you do it. Even when it seems impossible,” says Adrienne Gibbs. “We’ve had miracles happen! There were times when it didn’t look very good. The building needed major renovations and repairs to become operable. Each and every time, individuals, church groups and organizations stepped up and took care of every need.”
Teacher Kayla Bailey is excited to begin the new school year. “The preschool will be serving children from low income families which are basically in our back yard. We are excited to not only teach them things they need to know to be successful in kindergarten, but to teach them about the love of God,” says Kayla.
Children aren’t new to Union Mission’s Brookside campus. The campus actually began as a children’s summer camp and later evolved into an orphanage for many years. Thousands of children came through Union Mission’s orphanage. Today, it is home to Union Mission’s women’s and children’s programs which include addiction recovery, emergency shelter, preschool and child care.
“Many ask why Union Mission would have a preschool as part of their ministry. It is because we are called to love God’s people in our community and children are the heart of the community,” says Gibbs.
Special thanks to all volunteers and donors who gave of their time, talents and treasures to make this preschool possible.
