The first of two new facilities for Crosswinds Counseling and Wellness is now officially open.
The agency opened the doors of the Sauder Family Center — formerly known as the Earl Center — at 1601 State Street to the public for an open house event Thursday evening. Crosswinds CEO Amanda Cunningham says seeing the facility fully up and running after several years of fundraising and relocation efforts is an amazing sight.
Along with viewing the new facility, residents had an opportunity to meet face-to-face with various Crosswinds employees, an opportunity Cunningham says was an important piece of the evening’s proceedings.
The Sauder Family Center is housing several services including therapists, children’s services and a medication clinic and pharmacy. The center is also just the first new facility from the agency as KVOE News has reported in recent months that work is moving “fast and furious” on the former Chi Omega building at 1519 Merchant Street near the Emporia State University campus.
Chi Omega is set to house Crosswinds’ administrative offices, community training programs, mental health crisis response and adult therapy services. Cunningham says she is hopeful the building will be ready to open to the public by late summer if not early fall.
Crosswinds’ move to the new buildings came after it was announced that the agency’s long-term lease with Newman Regional Health for its former home at 1000 Lincoln would expire this June. Crosswinds developed the Breaking Stigma, Breaking Ground capital fundraising campaign to help with the purchase and renovations of the Chi Omega and Sauder Family Center buildings with Cunningham saying it was essential for the agency to come out of the relocation with zero debt.
Cunningham says right around $110,000 is left for Crosswinds to hit its better than $5 million fundraising goal. Aside from helping the agency purchase the new facilities, Cunningham says the campaign has also been a great educational resource for the local community.
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Sauder Family Center will occur at 12:30 pm Friday.
