Kellogg Community College and Goodwill Industries are jointly hosting an open house at their new offices in downtown Battle Creek on Sept. 20, 2012, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The open house, at 15 Capital Ave. NE, will allow members of the public to see KCC’s offices in a newly renovated space on the building’s second floor. The offices house the Nonprofit Alliance, Center for Entrepreneurship, Generation E Institute and the Calhoun Race Impact Alliance, four organizations based in Battle Creek.
Guests at the open house also can see the Financial Opportunity Center of Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland on the first floor of the building. The FOC offers financial coaching, access to supportive services and workforce development to 120 participants annually who are becoming self-sufficient.
The new offices, which opened in the spring of 2012, enable the organizations to reach out directly to the community in a convenient location in downtown Battle Creek. The opening of the offices also represents a commitment to the downtown district, where an economic transformation begun by city and business leaders continues to take shape.
“We are excited about having a regular KCC presence in downtown Battle Creek,” said KCC President Dennis Bona. “Moving our program staff, who work closely with individuals and organizations downtown, makes great logistical sense and promotes our commitment to serving community needs as well.”
Kenneth Bauer, president and chief executive officer of Goodwill Industries, said the downtown location for the FOC will ease transportation challenges for participants and help Goodwill connect with other nonprofits who serve the same clients.
“Since a majority of our participants live in our downtown neighborhoods, we wanted to move our FOC downtown. We can also be a meeting point and partner with other nonprofit agencies that serve our people,” Bauer said.
The Sept. 20 open house will include a pair of ribbon cuttings at 5 p.m., remarks by officials in attendance and light refreshments. Please RSVP to info@nonprofitalliance.org.