VCLF Financing Helps Nonprofit Wren’s Nest Forest Preschool Complete its Forever ‘Nest’
Snapshots of Wren’s Nest Forest Preschool students illustrate the wonder of childhood discovery in nature. A young girl on a forest trail collects autumn leaves into a bouquet. Students gather to investigate a pond’s intricate ecosystem; a fallen tree inspires inquiry.
“Wren’s Nest Forest Preschool encourages young children to love the natural world through an immersive approach to nature-based, child-directed, emergent and inquiry-driven learning,” says Tasha Ball, executive director of the Monkton nonprofit Willowell Foundation that owns and operates the preschool. At Wren’s Nest, she explains, the outdoors – its forests, meadows, fields and streams – serves as classroom.
Willowell also runs schools and programming for older children and adults: Pond Brook Middle School, the Walden Project outdoor, public high school run through Vergennes Union High School, plus summer camps, after-school programs, artists’ residencies and more.
Wren’s Nest Forest Preschool, licensed and 4 STARS-rated, has been celebrated as a unique and remarkable educational opportunity for place-based, experiential learning, connecting students ages 3-5 to the natural environment. But its own place hasn’t always been secure. Established in 2012, Wren’s Nest’s first home was planned for construction when the Willowell Foundation received a VCLF loan to purchase a 226-acre Monkton parcel on which to build and grow. But, permitting issues felled those plans. Willowell ultimately sold the property and then leased a portion of it, cost-free, to continue its programming. Before anyone could get too comfortable, COVID protocols pushed Wren’s Nest out, and the search for a forever ‘nest’ began again. “These moves were costly, time-consuming and demanded an extraordinary amount of energy,” Tasha says, describing the upheavals.
This year, when a nearby parcel in Bristol became available for purchase, Tasha and her team recognized it as perfect for the home base they’d always wanted. They got to work writing and winning grants, which meant they’d need bridge financing to cover costs before grant awards could be reimbursed. The Loan Fund’s previous support of Willowell immediately came to mind. “We came back to VCLF because they understand the mission-driven nature of our programming. Without VCLF, we wouldn’t have had the funding to launch as a small, scrappy nonprofit, so many years ago.”
There was a race to get financing underway so the project could be completed in time for the upcoming school year. She was thrilled that the VCLF team moved quickly and efficiently to accommodate a tight timeline. “Working with VCLF was a dream,” she says, and through the paperwork, fine print and various processes and regulations to work through, “everyone was there to see it all come together.”
In August, Wren’s Nest will have their new ‘nest,’ a structure Tasha describes as “practical, sustainable and beautiful, on two and a half acres of beautiful meadow, stream and hardwood forest land,” with a staff of seven serving 18 preschoolers. Twenty percent of the slots are reserved for low-to-moderate income families, per Willowell’s commitment to increased accessibility of their programming. “We can’t wait to see what this new property holds,” Tasha says, “to see what rocks or bends in the stream will the students take to, and how we’ll inhabit this new place.” willowell.org/wrens-nest-preschool-2
Financing was also provided to:
Business Lending:
La Chapina, Vergennes
La Chapina catering, owned and operated by Wendy Giron, features her native Guatemalan cuisine using locally-sourced ingredients. She came to VCLF for help financing a truck and concession trailer to be used for serving at events, and for a point-of-sale (POS) system to enable credit and debit card payments. The new trailer and vehicle will expand La Chapina’s service area and allow the business to attend to two events simultaneously. The loan preserves one job. lachapina.co
Mama’s Farm, Williston
New Americans Theogene Mahoro and Hyacinthe Ayingeneye used grant funding to purchase the 5-acre farm where they grow vegetables and raise & process chickens, ducks, and goats. As their grant awards were considered taxable income, the couple came to owe substantial state and federal taxes. They came to VCLF for a SPROUT loan to restructure their tax obligation, and to help cover operating costs. The loan preserves two jobs. mamasfarmvt.com
Early Care & Learning Lending:
Children’s Choice Childcare Center, Castleton
Owner and director Tearsa Brannock, a previous VCLF borrower, returned to the Loan Fund for financing to expand her early care & learning program with an addition to her home-based center, plus updates to her existing classroom. Tearsa collaborates with nearby Castleton University, inviting early care & learning students to complete their work study requirements at her program. The loan preserves 10 childcare slots, creates 20 new slots, preserves two jobs and creates three new jobs. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068142145743
The Learning Tree Childcare Center, Enosburg Falls
Having outgrown its original facility and in need of expansion, The Learning Tree Childcare Center began construction on a new space when funds ran short. Owner Ronda McAllister came to VCLF for a loan that would allow for project completion. The loan preserves 45 child care slots and creates 14 new ones; it preserves eight jobs and creates three new ones. facebook.com/p/The-Learning-Tree-Childcare-Center-100064185360629
Housing & Community Facilities Lending:
Caledonia Food Cooperative, St. Johnsbury
The Caledonia Food Co-op has identified an ideal property for the cooperative grocery, and begun fundraising for its purchase. Its Board of Directors approached VCLF for bridge financing as they complete their capital campaign. Together with financing from VCLF, the Vermont Economic Development Authority and the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, the Caledonia Food Co-op purchased the downtown St. Johnsbury property. The loan is expected to create 40 jobs and contribute to St. Johnsbury’s downtown revitalization. caledoniafood.coop
Chapman’s Place, Fairlee
The historic Chapman’s Place structure in Fairlee’s village center includes Chapmans General Store, two subsidized workforce apartments and a two-story barn. The organization came to VCLF to help finance the renovation of the barn, which will create four additional energy-efficient affordable homes, add fire protection to the remaining portion of the building, and finalize an ADA accessible community gathering space. The loan also creates five construction jobs. chapmansstore.com
Homes First, Middlebury
Homes First is a grassroots nonprofit, working to provide affordable and sustainable “right-sized” homes to Addison County residents unable to afford market rate housing. Working in partnership with Middlebury’s Hannaford CTE Center program, Homes First will use a loan from VCLF’s new Career Technical Education (CTE) Construction & Rehabilitation Revolving Loan Fund to construct a tiny home, with 22 Hannaford students providing labor while learning building trades skills. The loan creates one new affordable home. homesfirstvt.org
Shires Housing/Gage St., Bennington
Shires Housing, a nonprofit housing development organization and longstanding VCLF partner, used a previous VCLF loan to purchase a structure to be rehabilitated as a recovery housing for people with substance use disorder. Turning Point will operate the certified “Level II” Residence, providing nine male residents with services to transition to permanent housing. Shires will use this most recent loan as a bridge to cover construction costs until grant award monies are disbursed. shireshousing.org