By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — After renting two facilities over the past ten years, Joe’s Kids has found what can only be described as a forever home.
The non-profit, which provides specialized services for children with special needs, had a ribbon cutting last week and on Sunday, hosted an open house at its new facility on West Lake Street.
A bigger facility was needed to serve a growing demand, said Executive Director Rebecca Bazzoni.
Joe’s Kids received 400 referrals in 2020 and over 700 in 2022.
“We had 250 children on a waiting list for care last spring because we didn’t have enough capacity to see them,” she said.
The new facility encompasses 18,000 square feet – four times bigger than their more recent home, Bazzoni said.
Behind the building is a large lot that leaves plenty of room for future growth.
The overall project, including renovations, cost $1.1 million.
Bazzoni tipped her hat to K21 Health Foundation, which has been a leading financial supporter of the organization for years.
Other support came from the AWS Foundation, Dekko Foundation and Kosciusko County government which provided money from the American Rescue Plan Act.
