This article was originally written by Kevin Kemper and posted on Nationwide.com
Columbus, OH, July 22, 2024 -- The YWCA Family Center in Columbus offers emergency shelter and services for families without homes. Residents of the center may stay at the center for weeks or months as they enroll in services and programs that help them regain housing.
Why it matters: During any given year, hundreds of children and their families may live at the YWCA Family Center. Last year, the center served 251 families and 1,613 children.
Opportunities for all ages: Until recently, the playground at the Family Center was limited in its scope and offerings. Today, the newly opened Family Center playground is designed for multiple ages, not just the youngest children. This offers kids of every age the chance to exercise and play in a safe environment. The playground has three different areas:
the Safe and Sound Playground, for children ages 0-5, is built with soft surfaces and features age-appropriate toys;
the Daycare Playground, for children ages 5-12, has traditional slides, swings, climbing structures and other playground equipment; and,
Sport Court, a multiuse area for children up to 18 is designed for organized play – everything from street hockey to basketball.
Community-wide effort: Several years in the making, the Columbus Blue Jackets-themed playground officially opened in July thanks to the efforts of multiple organizations in the Columbus community, including the Nationwide Foundation, Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, Installed Building Products, and the Champion Cares Foundation.
As HispanicBusinessTV noted in its coverage of the playground opening, it was Cindy Walker, wife of Nationwide CEO and Nationwide Foundation Chairman Kirt Walker, who proposed an upgrade of the playground.
What they’re saying: “Cindy came home and shared her enthusiasm for what this playground build could look like,” Walker said at the playground’s ribbon cutting ceremony on July 11. “How great to celebrate today as the concept becomes a reality. This is awesome!
“It’s all about the kids. We’re mission-driven – we’re about protecting people, businesses and futures with extraordinary care. There’s nothing more important in that group than families and children. The Nationwide Foundation's gift, in alignment with its mission to improve communities where Nationwide associates and members live and work, made this possible.”
Zoom in: The Nationwide Foundation is a nonprofit, private foundation to which Nationwide companies are the donors. Founded in 1959, the Nationwide Foundation has contributed more than $670 million since 2000 to help nonprofit organizations in communities where Nationwide associates and their families live and work.