El Campito receives $50K grant to enhance education facilities

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - El Campito Child Development Center in South Bend received a check for $50,000 in hopes of continuing its mission to serve low-income and Spanish-speaking families.

The Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation presented the big check to El Campito on Wednesday. The non-profit organization offers early childhood education, after-school programs, and community-based learning to children throughout South Bend and the surrounding communities.

“Our building is 98 years old, so there is a lot of maintenance that needs to happen in order to continue to serve our young friends,” said El Campito Director of Development and Community Outreach Aleyna Mitchell. “There’s a lot of programming and things we’d like to do we just didn’t have the funds for.”

The grant is one of six awarded in 2022 by the foundation, which is funded by Barnes & Thornsburg’s lawyers and staff. Altogether, they raised $300,000 to help raise awareness, dedicate resources and advocate equal opportunities and justice for people of color.

“I’m so impressed by the work El Campito is doing and I feel honored and privileged to work for an organization like Barnes and Thornburg that walks the walk and is doing the work to help organizations like El Campito,” said Marketing Services Manager Amy Kintz.

El Campito has been a resource in the community ever since the 1970s and is the only licensed National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited bilingual child development center in Northern Indiana.

“It’s part of our responsibility to be a good citizen and to be a part of the community,” said John Smarrella, office managing partner for Barnes and Thornburg’s Elkhart and South Bend offices. “Any time we can partner with people that are doing great work in the community and really helping our youth, we’re thrilled to be a part of that.”

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