No, St. Joseph’s at Providence Creek is not changing its mission, or its service to the community. In fact, it’s expanding and, for that reason, decided to change its name to more reflect what it is and does—St. Joseph’s Center for Community Service.
Part of a summer-long campaign of public education and new tenant recruitment is the launching of a brand new website, with lots of information about the organization, its history, and plans for the future. It’s at www.saintjosephscenter.org.
“We are actually beginning a new chapter in the life of St. Joseph’s,” said Board Chair Joyce Webber. “This campaign will inform everyone of exactly who we are and what St. Joseph’s will mean to all of the citizens of this area.”
St. Joseph’s mission is to provide venue for community service programs. Similar to other sites around the country, it is a place where service providers of various types will work together in one place toward the common benefit of the community.
Marc Ostroff is in his fifth year as Executive Director of St. Joseph’s Center for Community Service.
“I get a feeling in my gut every day, when I walk through the arch, of how important this place is and the enormous responsible we have for passing on the history of the site and its place in the community, as well as making sure that we maximize the use of these 222 acres to fill the needs of this community,” said Ostroff. “It’s daunting, but even more, it’s a blessing.”
Plans for new programs
The schedule of programs at St. Joseph’s is set to change dramatically next year, when Providence Creek Academy charter school moves out of the space it currently occupies. The Foundation sold a piece of land to the school in May to build their own new campus. Their lease is scheduled to run out in August of 2009.
After that, St. Joseph’s will replace the school with a vast array of programs vital to the immense growth that the area has experienced. Clearly, services have not kept up with the growth, but now organizations will have the opportunity to open local branches, so that folks don’t have to drive to Dover or Wilmington for everything.
Ostroff said, “We’re talking to colleges and universities as top prospects on the list. There’s just nothing of that sort here at all. Next, we have organizations such as Kent County Parks and Rec., the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and the like, which could expand their programs here where they’re badly needed. We’re hoping to have a branch library on site, counseling, senior services, clinical outreach, a broadly expanded line-up of youth activities, and special events.”
The organization presently hosts a summer camp, Jazzercise, youth mentoring, church services, recreation and sports, and more.
What’s on the website?
The new website, www.saintjosephscenter.org, is broken into several sections to give viewers options for what they may want to know, including the 112-year history, the property, everything about the organization, programs, and more.
There’s a section with newspaper clippings and press releases. And, even though there are lots of photographs throughout the site, the web site includes a section called the “Gallery,” with approximately 75 more pictures, many of which date back to the earlier years of the St. Joseph’s Industrial School, which opened in 1896.
An announcement is coming soon about an Open House which will give everyone in the area a chance to check out what is going on now, but also contribute to the decisions being made for the future.
“We’ve always said that St. Joseph’s belongs to the community,” said Board Chair Webber. “This is an opportunity for folks to tell us what kinds of programs and services they would like to see here.”
There is also a place on the website to post comments or ask questions. Visit the web site at www.saintjosephscenter.org, or call (302) 653-8814 for more information.
St. Joseph’s Center for Community Service is a nonprofit Foundation which serves to preserve and enhance the rich history of the property, the local community, and even the agricultural legacy, while making it feasible for organizations and institutions to fill the most critical needs of the Smyrna-Clayton area and beyond.
CLAYTON, Del. —
