Mercy Housing California Celebrates Opening of YMCA Preschool Serving 65 Inner-city Children in Downtown L.A.

Brand new, state-of-the-art preschool and child care center located at Mercy Housing California’s pristine Caroline Severance Manor, serving Los Angeles families in need

Left to Right: Walter Roessner (First Unitarian), Gio Aliano (Abode Communities), Rev. Rick Hoyt-McDaniels, Duane Dillman, Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo (LA City Council), Carol Pfannkuche (Ketchum-Downtown YMCA), Ed Holder (Mercy Housing California)
Left to Right: Walter Roessner (First Unitarian), Gio Aliano (Abode Communities), Rev. Rick Hoyt-McDaniels, Duane Dillman, Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo (LA City Council), Carol Pfannkuche (Ketchum-Downtown YMCA), Ed Holder (Mercy Housing California)

Mercy Housing California on Thursday joined with its partners, First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles and the Stewart M. Ketchum Downtown YMCA, to celebrate the grand opening of the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Preschool at its brand new location on the ground floor of Mercy Housing’s Caroline Severance Manor, an 85-unit supportive housing development.

Speakers at the event included Mercy Housing California Vice President, Real Estate Development Ed Holder, Reverend Rick Hoyt-McDaniels of the First Unitarian Church, Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo, Los Angeles City Council, 1st District, Carol Pfannkuche, Executive Director, Stuart M. Ketchum Downtown YMCA and Gio Aliano, AIA, Vice President, Architecture, Abode Communities.

The speakers were followed by a special presentation from members of the inaugural preschool class to Reverend Rick Hoyt-McDaniels and Ed Holder. The preschool class painted their handprints on a framed poster that will hang in the First Unitarian Church next door to Caroline Severance Manor and the preschool.

The Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Preschool was built by the First Unitarian Church, where the preschool was previously based, with support from the Weingart Foundation, Mercy Housing, Genesis LA and others. The preschool itself serves around 65 children, ages 3-5, with plans to expand to around 80 in the near future and aims to help the children build an important educational foundation with a curriculum aligned with the State of California’s educational standards.

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About Mercy Housing

Mercy Housing California (MHC) is the largest regional division of national nonprofit Mercy Housing, Inc. (MHI), a developer of permanent affordable housing and the largest nonprofit affordable housing owner in the country. MHI’s mission is to create stable, vibrant, and healthy communities by developing, financing and operating affordable, program-enriched housing for families, seniors and people with special needs who lack the economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities.

Statewide, Mercy Housing California has developed more than 130 rental properties across 36 counties. Through the provision of safe, service-enriched housing, MHC strives to strengthen families and build healthy communities. For more information, please visit www.mercyhousingcalifornia.org.