Canterbury's Fundraising Appeal

Dear Canterbury families of the past and present,

I hope this message finds you and your family well and in good health. I am writing today with an update on Canterbury Children’s Center and to ask for your support.

Canterbury, like so many organizations, has had the most challenging two years in the 50+ years since our inception. In March 2020, we had to close our doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were not able to reopen until September 2020. In addition to all the new guidelines and restrictions, we also bid farewell to our former longtime executive director, Janas Mercer, and we wish her well in her retirement. Through every challenge brought on by the pandemic, our dedicated staff remained steadfastly committed to Canterbury’s philosophy, which is to provide quality care in a nurturing environment that helps foster the growth and development of children.

We are several months into the 2021-2022 school year and things are already beginning to look brighter. We are so fortunate to have found an amazing new executive director, Heather Moore, to lead Canterbury. Heather has almost 20 years’ experience in childcare settings, including over 10 as a director at various centers. In addition, the state lifted the reduced capacity size, and we have been able to accommodate more families than we did last year. The children are thriving at Canterbury once again, thanks in large part to our supportive community.

While we are cautiously optimistic that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the past two years have put a tremendous strain on the school’s resources. We are humbly asking you to consider a tax-deductible donation to Canterbury Children’s Center, which will help us meet our current needs and make key investments in a number of priority areas. We recognize that there are many other worthy causes in need of support, so we thank you in advance for your consideration. The school means so much to all of us, and we hope to maintain the Canterbury legacy for generations to come. Donations can be made directly to the school HERE [insert link] or by mailing a check made out to Canterbury Children’s Center to 5 Bryant Street, Wakefield, MA 01880.

Some examples of what your donation can provide to Canterbury:

• $5,000 will pay for new flooring in one classroom

• $1,000 will help upgrade the children’s bathroom

• $250 will provide new equipment for our playground

• $100 will secure our scholarship fund for those who qualify under Mass State guidelines

Thank you for all the ways – past and present – you have supported the school and best wishes for the holiday season.