11th Annual Warm Hearts Luncheon

The Child Care Action Council will be serving up fun and generosity for their 11th Annual Warm Hearts Luncheon, raising funds for their early learning Family Services program. Community members will come together for kids on Thursday, February 21 from 11:30am to 1:00pm at the Lacey Community Center. Guests will enjoy a soup buffet made by culinary students at South Puget Sound Community College, and listen to speakers discuss the importance of early learning and quality child care.

Child Care Action Council provides a full spectrum of services surrounding early education from, training child care providers to meeting families in their homes to give guidance on being their child’s first and best teacher. “Our focus is our earliest learners, ages birth to 5 years old,” said Gary Burris, Executive Director of Child Care Action Council. “We know that 90% of brain development happens in the first five years and having quality early learning experiences are crucial to creating a solid foundation upon which all later learning, behavior, and health depend.”

Each year, Child Care Action Council has seen its Warm Hearts fundraiser grow and become a critical piece in raising funds for their Family Services program that supports over 6,000 children in our community. Last year, Child Care Action Council was able to raise over $19,000 and the new goal for this year is $22,000. As grant funding becomes tougher and tougher to secure, this event has been a crucial component to continuing the many free early literacy and math, and family support services throughout Thurston, Mason, and Grays Harbor counties. 

The Family Service program encompasses a number of early learning services that nurture child development and support children and families so they can thrive. Raising A Reader is Child Care Action Council’s flagship early literacy service that brings new books into homes of 1,300 children through a book rotation program at their child care, Head Start, or ECEAP centers. This program inspires the love of reading and increases daily reading habits.

The Family Services program also funds the four Kaleidoscope Play and Learn groups, a free weekly playgroup for children and their caregivers to learn and develop through play-based activities and parent support; BlockFest that brings an interactive block exhibit to over 1,200 children in our community and promotes early math skills; SafeKids Thurston County that serves over 5,000 children and their families with resources and information on how to prevent childhood injuries in the home, at school, and on the way; and Margie’s Crisis Nursery that finds and pays for temporary child care for families when they are in a crisis situation.

The foundation of support for the Family Services program is raised through event sponsorships. Leading that charge for the past four years has been WSECU as title sponsor of the Warm Hearts luncheon. In addition to the WSECU’s title sponsorship, Child Care Action Council is honored to have the following organizations support this year’s Warm Hearts luncheon: Molina Healthcare, Neil Woody McSwain & Company, Olympia Federal SavingsAlaffiaCommencement BankFORMA Construction, Kiley Juergens Wealth Management, TwinStar Credit Union, Bron’s Automotive, Graphic Communications, Heritage BankHomeStreet BankNicholson & Associates InsuranceGHB InsuranceThe Other Guys, Inc.Tammy’s Ceramic Shop, Timberland Bank, Sound Credit Union.

If you are interested in supporting early learning opportunities for all children in our community, please join Child Care Action Council for their Warm Hearts luncheon. Reserve your spot today by emailing Child Care Action Council at allison@ccacwa.org or call 360-786-8907 x112.