Putting Five Towns Community Chest donations to work

Five Towns Community Chest in Woodmere financially supports 24 local agencies that offer a myriad of services to members of the community. One of these is the Inwood-based Five Towns Early Learning Center, which Community Chest has proudly assisted for over 50 years.

A typical day at the center includes children sitting on a carpet with a big pile of toy cars. With the help of their teacher, the kids are separating the cars by color, writing a label for each color, and counting how many cars are in each group. In an outdoor playground, a group of two year olds are drawing with chalk, proudly displaying their creations to everyone else around them. Through these activities they are actually learning categorization, mathematical, and foundational writing and motor skills putting into motion the center’s philosophy of “learning through play.”

The center has cared for children of working parents for more than 70 years. The New York State-licensed facility cares for 54 children ages 18 months to five years in a full day “play-based” program. Since young children learn through their senses, the center provides an environment that is physically safe, intellectually challenging, and emotionally nurturing.

Well-trained teachers understand that the motor, communicative, and social skills of a child develop best through hands-on experiences, so each station in the classroom has a sensory activity designed to enhance a particular skill through hands-on learning. Executive Director Pepper Robinson says that the center works to “Protect a child’s right to play. Everyone, no matter how old, learns best through hands-on activity.” Five Towns Community Chest strives to assist organizations to carry out its motto of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” and the Early Learning Center is just one example of the various services supported by Community Chest dollars.