Work Continues on Mooncrest Community Center Addition

When Sister Rene Procopio talks about the new addition to the , she has to pause to gain her composure.

"It is just so beautiful," said Procopio, who is director of the center. "There has been ust so much support and love in this project, it is overwhelming." 

Thanks to donations from various foundations, the $120,000 construction project is nearly complete and will enable the Mooncrest Community Center to expand their services.

The 35-by-22 foot addition was made possible by a $50,000 grant from the Weisbrod Foundation, a $50,000 grand from the Felician Sisters Order, $15,000 from Massey Charitable Trust, and $5,000 from the Cestone Foundation.

While most of the major work is completed according to Procopio, there is still outside work, fencing and other details that will be finished in the next few months. The tentative date for the ribbon cutting ceremony is August 22.

Once completed, the addition will allow Mooncrest to offer additional programming, much of it targeted to the adult population in the area.

“We have been providing services for our children and now we will extend to their parents and other adults in our community. We will also be able to offer more programming for our children,” she said.

Mooncrest Community Center has offered tutoring and other services for children since 2002.

Starting in the fall, Mooncrest will offer some health and wellness programming for adults including classes such as yoga and health consultations. The consultations and programming will be offered in conjunction with nearby and their nursing students, along with volunteer, Sashi Marwah, a retired physician.

The classes will be offered in response to a survey Procopio said they gave to the parents of the children who attend the Center.

“They said they wanted classes in parenting, wellness, and exercise,” she said.

The addition includes a room that will be named the Robert and Mary Weisbrod Health and Wellness Room and a room that will be used as a study room for the children. There will also be increased storage space.

The center will also increase programming for children including more art programming offered in partnership with Sweetwater Center for the Arts, music therapy and joint exercise classes with the adults.

 “This is going to take some time. But we’ve been doing this program for 10 years and now we are going to reach more people,” said Procopio.