The Owatonna Foundation is pleased to announce that Wee Pals Child Care Center has been awarded a $35,000 grant for the purpose of remodeling their kitchen facility and upgrading their kitchen equipment. Wee Pals is located in the historic West Hills Complex of Owatonna and provides both child care and pre-school education programs.

“We’re excited to be able to present this grant to Wee Pals for their kitchen’s improvement. Good child care is very important to our workforce and community, allowing parents to pursue employment and enhance the quality of life for their families. Knowing that their children are well taken care of, and having that support system in place is of great value. Wee Pals provides an important service to the community by providing child care, along with a strong pre-school curriculum.Being able to upgrade their kitchen is very important to their continued success and we were happy to be able to give them the help they needed” said Foundation Grants Committee Chairman, Stephen Smith.

Marilee Pfarr, Director of the Wee Pals facility stated: “We are so grateful to the Owatonna Foundation for supporting this remodel project.  Receiving this grant is important to our ongoing success.  This remodel was a state mandate that had to be completed.  Without this support we would have raised rates for families which can be a huge financial burden for many.  With the Owatonna Foundation support, we look forward to a long history of serving children 6 weeks to school age with a high quality preschool/school age child care program.  We do serve families from all levels of income in Steele County.  We currently have infant openings and encourage families to set up a tour at Wee Pals before these hard to find spots are filled!”

Incorporated in 1957, the Foundation has served the Owatonna community for 58 years, providing over 11 million dollars in financial support to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. The Foundation makes grants for capital purchases and improvements in the following categories:Community – with projects that have an impact on the quality of life of the people of Owatonna, and the parks and places they use and enjoy.Education – with scholarships and improvements promoting literary and scientific ventures and preserving the history of Owatonna.The Arts – with projects that support fine arts, both visual and musical, and encouraging a diverse cultural environment.Recreation – with projects that help improve the recreational diversity of Owatonna, offering all ages a recreational outlet throughout the year. The Foundation also provides both traditional and non-traditional scholarships for youth and adults that are residents of Owatonna.

The Foundation encourages organizations in Owatonna and its environs to apply for grants, the criteria being outlined on the Foundation’s website: www.owatonnafoundation.org. The next grant deadline is September 1, 2015