Ellipsis’ newest facility on Des Moines’ north side aims to fill a gap for foster care services for girls and young women in central Iowa.
“This isn’t simply a new address,” CEO Kelly Hannan said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, July 29, to celebrate the building’s opening at 5525 Meredith Dr. “It’s a new beginning for these women, a place of safety, a place of healing …
“A place for them to rewrite their stories.”
The 14,000-square-foot building split into two floors offers 10 foster care beds for girls and eight apartment units for young women. The beds tucked in dorm-style rooms with bean bag chairs and desks take over the basement. Girls ages 12 to 17 entering Ellipsis’ foster care programs can use those rooms.
Units on the top floor are for young women 16 to 21 and transitioning out of foster care. Each unit has its own kitchen and bathroom, offering a more “dignified” living space for women learning how to live independently, Hannan said.
Foster care facilities like these, particularly for girls and young women, are hard to find compared to boys and young men, Hannan said. The nearest facility for girls and young women is more than 100 miles away, she said.
At the ceremony, Lori Frick, state department director of Child Protective Services, said Ellipsis stepped up to meet a need. Spaces like these are critical, Frick said to Ellipsis staff and community leaders who gathered for the open house.
“It’s really important for them to be able to come to a space where they feel that they’re important, that they’re heard,” Frick said.
Ellipsis’ new facility is called the Barbara Lee Noble Campus
Chris Andersen, Ellipsis’ chief financial officer, said the building is dedicated after the late Barbara Lee Noble, wife of the late David J. Noble, founder of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company. The Nobles’ foundation named after David provided the “lead gift” for the $5.5 million project.
“David had definitely made a name for himself throughout the community, and so this is an opportunity to be able to honor their mom,” Andersen said.
At the ceremony, one of Noble’s children, Cindy Noble, said her mother would have been proud of the foundation’s move to invest in Ellipsis’ project. She called her mother a “wonderful role model.”
“We just wish for hope and peace for all those who walk through these doors,” Cindy said.
What other features does the facility have?
Both floors have lounge areas and other spaces for programs or for residents to use at their leisure. Outside, Hannan and Andersen said, there will be a basketball and volleyball court, a picnic area and other green spaces.
What other projects is Ellipsis working on?
Hannan and Andersen said the Barbara Lee Noble Campus is part of an ongoing capital campaign project to expand Ellipsis’ work. They already renovated their foster care facility on the city’s south side to include 12 apartment units, where residents live under supervision. A fresh coat of paint, new floors and new furniture were just some of the updates done to Ellipsis’ other facility on Park Avenue.
Plans to provide single-occupancy rooms for an all-boys foster care facility is among the last steps, Andersen said.
The nonprofit is still looking for monetary donations to help support its future projects, Andersen said. For more information, visit Ellipsis’ website at ellipsisiowa.org.
F. Amanda Tugade covers community and faith for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on X @writefelissa.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ellipsis’ new foster home is a place where girls can ‘rewrite their stories’
Reporting by F. Amanda Tugade, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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