Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters now has a new facility in Peoria. The grand opening on North Sterling Avenue is a response to the recent growth of the organization.
The agency served 24 percent more children in 2012 compared to the previous year. Jeff Parmenter is the Executive Director of Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters. He says the new building has several advantages.
“One, it’s providing us with visibility because since we’ve been in here, I’ve had so many people say, ‘Hey, we’ve seen your building, seen your signs,’ so they know a lot about us," Parmenter says. "Second of all, it gives us space.”
Officials say the new facility is designed for more organized office space than the previous building. The organization currently serves 260 children. Parmenter says Big Brothers Big Sisters wants to increase that number to 500 in the next three years.