Grant sought to fund Chandler CARE Center

The Chandler Education Foundation will seek a $1.375 million grant to complete the fundraising needed to construct a health care and community center at Galveston Elementary School near downtown.

The foundation is asking the City Council to approve submission of the grant application for the Chandler CARE Center to the Gila River Indian Community's state-shared revenue program. The council will vote on the measure Thursday.

Plans have been developed for an 8,800-square-foot facility on the Galveston campus. Currently, the CARE (Children's Assistance Resources and Education) Center, formerly known as the San Marcos Family Resource Center, is housed in two classrooms at San Marcos Elementary School, a few miles southwest of Galveston.

About $1.9 million has been raised for the $3.3 million project. The grant would complete the fundraising effort for the center and allow construction to start this fall, said center director Susan Horan.

Groundbreaking could coincide with the building of more classrooms at Galveston. With a fall construction start, it could be open as early as May 2009.

The center is run by the Chandler Unified School District. Volunteer health care workers provide medical and dental care.

All the services provided are free to low-income families: medical assessment, dental care, immunizations and social services.

With more space, more doctors will be able to volunteer their time. The facility will also allow expansion of the dental and social services components.

The City Council is being asked to approve the grant application to show community support for the facility, said Glenna McCollum, president of the Chandler Education Foundation.

"They ask that we go through the city prior to submitting the application," McCollum said. "The city of Chandler isn't dictating it. It's part of the process for all of the tribes."

Current donations include $1million from a voter-approved school district bond, a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from the city and $250,000 from Chandler Regional Medical Center.

"We are in the homestretch. This is a doable grant," Horan said.

She is optimistic that, one way or another, the funds will come through for the center.

"It will happen. It's a question of when it will happen. There's too much money lined up and too many people committed to us," she said.