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Valley Community Church recently held a grand-opening and ribbon-cutting event for its new Families Building, a fresh addition to Pleasanton congregation’s kids and disability ministry.
VCC representatives said the new building aims to create a safe, focused place for students and families. Mayor Karla Brown and members of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce joined church members and others for the special ceremony on Sept. 3 at the downtown church.
“(We) are thrilled to share this new space with the community,” VCC representatives said in a statement.
The new building is approximately 4,800-square-feet, with the interior being strategically designed for optimal family, children and student use. The main mission, according to church officials, is to create a “safe space where everyone can learn God’s word and grow to know and love Jesus.”
From the inside, a check-in and welcome area allows parents to drop off their children. Additionally, there is a dedicated space for students with disabilities and special needs.
“With our new classroom, we can welcome someone with disabilities of any age and build friendship while playing and learning,” disability ministry director Lilian Jewell said in a statement.
“It is our hope that someone with autism, sensory-processing disorder, cerebral palsy, or another special need, will walk into this space and see it is made for them and their families to flourish,” Jewell added.
Outside, a new playground for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school students was debuted.
Volunteers who will be in the space are trained and screened to ensure every participant has the best possible experience, according to Jewell.
A second part of the project will add more details and functions to the VCC campus at 4455 Del Valle Pkwy.
Phase 2 of the expansion is still to be “revisited and funded”. It will include meeting spaces, meal service windows, and an indoor cafe with seating. No date for these additions has been set.
