Family Resource Center, a decade in the making, opens in former Trout Museum building

Amid beautiful murals, brightly colored furnishings, and imaginative play areas, the First 5 Fox Valley Family Resource Center officially opened on Oct. 8 with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony.  Located in downtown Appleton, the Family Resource Center just completed a nearly $8 million renovation of the former Trout Museum building. 

“It takes a village,” Nancy Jones, F5FV Board President, said of the project that began as a vision nearly a decade ago. “The family resource steering committee developed the details. Our amazing parent ambassadors invested their time and ideas to make sure this center would be designed and developed to serve today's families. So many leaders caught the vision and shared the story.”

In addition to the $2 million state grant, Outagamie County allocated a $2 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson and Chairperson Dan Gabrielson were among county officials and officials from the Oneida Nations in attendance, while Gov. Tony Evers, State Senators Kris Dassler-Alfheim and Andre Jaque and State Assembly Representative Lee Snodgrass also were on hand. 

“I'm extremely excited, especially because I had a small hand in it in making recommendations to the non-state building grant fund to provide grant funding for this project,” said Snodgrass. “But most importantly, it's the first of its kind in our region, and at a time when families are struggling more and more to find the resources they needed to give their children what they need in a complicated world.”

The first floor includes a Welcome Center and a play space. Creative spaces for kids inhabit the second and third floors as well, including the Launchpad Playful Preschool, an innovative childcare model designed by the Building for Kids Children’s Museum.

The fourth floor provides multipurpose rooms for parent education and offices for on-site partner organizations. Casa Hispana, Samaritan Counseling, Hope & Help Together, Outagamie County Public Health, Spierings Cancer Foundation, Empower Tutoring, Partnership Community Health Center, Help Me Grow Fox Valley, Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Caring Hearts Women’s and Children’s Home, and Children’s Resource Center of NE Wisconsin are all among organizations inhabiting space in the building.

Community rooms throughout the facility are available for meetings, trainings, education, gatherings, and other opportunities that strengthen families and community.

The City of Appleton contributed $750,000 of ARPA funds to the project. 

“There's so much love in this room, and that love is our community,” said Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford. “And in this place, that love has been summoned and has been directed into a project that is going to make such a difference for young people and families in our community, hopefully for generations to come.”

Barb Tengesdal, Executive Director of First 5 Fox Valley, said she was overwhelmed with pride at the completion of the facility and said she was hoping for greater things yet. 

“I think we ought to work to update the park a little bit with family-friendly seating,” she said.  “And I would love there to be a splash pad.” 

To learn more, donate, or volunteer, visit the First 5 Fox Valley website at  www.firstfivefoxvalley.org