Recently we launched our next phase of improvements at the St. Ann's Campus — the St. Ann's Campus Centennial: Preserving the Legacy initiative — a $400,000 endeavor that will help us continue making significant strides to refresh and restore the former St. Ann's School, a landmark on Erie's east side with a rich history. The St. Ann's Campus has been educating children for 100 years since it's founding in 1925, and Sarah Reed Children's Center was proud to carry on the legacy when it purchased the property in 1986. This campus houses our Sanctuary Education for Learning Fundamentals (SELF) program and the Sanctuary Based Learning Program (SBLP). Sarah Reed partners with Erie's Public Schools to provide these therapeutic and educational programming to over 100 students each year ages 8-18. Students from Erie’s Public Schools are referred to the SELF and SBLP programs when they exhibit severe behavioral challenges and need a therapeutic environment of care to help them learn how to regulate emotions and behaviors for a safe return to their home school.
Since the Summer of 2022, we have made over $1,000,000 in improvements to our St. Ann’s Campus thanks to our St. Ann’s Campus Enhancement: Phase 1 and Phase 2 donors and helped over 300 students and 1,000 Erie families! We installed a new HVAC system, completed major IT infrastructure upgrades, significantly expanded the St. Ann’s library, secured new furniture and technology for 11 classrooms, cleaned the exterior, replaced the roof over the gym and school, and we recently completed a major $256,000 window replacement project.
We still have significant work to do to restore this beautiful 100-year-old building. In Spring 2025, we launched the St. Ann's Campus Centennial: Preserving the Legacy project with a goal to raise $400,000 to continue restoring the former St. Ann’s School. Some of the improvements we have planned are:
- New doors throughout the building
- New exterior safety railings
- Interior hallway renovations+ new flooring throughout the 1st & 2nd floors and stairwells - Started June 2025!
- Install a new fence around the parking lot and garden
- Gym renovations
- Finish exterior masonry restoration
Your gift to the St. Ann's Campus Centennial: Preserving the Legacy initiative will help to refresh and restore the St. Ann's School and help us continue our life-changing work for the children and families on Erie’s east side.
To learn more about how you can be part of this historic project or to take a tour of the campus, please contact:
Gary L. Bukowski, MA, CFRE
Associate Vice President of Development
Sarah A. Reed Children's Center
(814) 835-7602
GBukowski@SarahReed.org
Thank you for your consideration of support!
Want to learn more?
Gary Bukowski, MA, CFRE, associate vice president of development at Sarah Reed, sat down with the team at Community Access Media to discuss our Phase 1 and Phase 2 initiatives, along with the significant impact Sarah A. Reed Children's Center continues to make on the Erie community more than 153 years after it was founded.
Click here for a PDF showing our full listing of Phase 1 accomplishments and photos!
Want to make an impact today?
You can make an online gift using the Donate button below and select "St. Ann's Campus Centennial: Preserving the Legacy" from the drop-down menu on our online donation page. Prefer to write a check, make a gift through your IRA or have another way of making an impact? Please reach out to Gary Bukowski in our Development Office, and he'll be happy to assist you. Thank you!
Join our Preserving the Legacy initiative!
You can make an online gift to the St. Ann's Campus Centennial: Preserving the Legacy by clicking the link below. Thank you!
Donate
Help us preserve the legacy of St. Ann's through a planned gift!
Visit our Planned Giving website to learn about all the ways you can incorporate Sarah A. Reed Children's Center into your estate plans and make a lasting impact on the children and families we serve. Don't have a will yet? Check out our free and secure Legacy Planner to help get you started.
