At the heart of Greater Glory Children Ministry Daycare is love. Love for children and education, and the importance of bridging the two together.
GGCM Daycare is a faith-based childcare facility based in Fayetteville, NC. Since opening its doors in 2020, the community of dedicated leaders, instructors, and administrators has worked tirelessly to foster an inclusive, enriching, and comfortable learning environment for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years of age in the area.
Their vision has always been to lead with compassion and reach as many children as the walls of their facility would allow. As the vision for expansion grew, so did the challenges.
GGCMD knew that as a church ministry, their access to capital was not like other startups. There were no outside investors, and any funds raised were automatically redirected back into the ministry. The unit would persevere with personal donations and borrowing, their faith, and supporters.
“As the vision of the ministry grew, along with the desire to reach and teach more children and students, we realized how important resources were in the expansion and process of the work,” acknowledges Joy Melvin, administrative board member, and curriculum advisor. “We as a group and family were utilizing and sacrificing all we had or possessed. We knew we needed guidance and assistance.
With a referral from a local business center, the partnership with GGCMD and Carolina Community Impact was born. The daycare would utilize CCI’s loan application assistance program, working closely with the lending program director, Scott Wolford.
Prior to seeking assistance from the CCI team, the daycare was taxed with addressing structural challenges. From inadequate playground fencing and interior flooring to vandalism and property damages and many other matters, these challenges needed to be resolved to adhere to local and state regulatory mandates for operation.
Limited by time and financial resources, securing a small business loan with the help of CCI’s experts propelled GGCMD to get their now modernized facility up and running.
“As a result of the assistance and affiliation with CCI, we have been able to accomplish many upgrades, additions, expansions, and improvements.” Those enhancements included new flooring for the 2600 sq ft. space, a newly rewired fire alarm system, three new sinks, interior painting, exterior signage with the business logo, and playground fencing.
Melvin credits CCI as that pivotal resource contributing to the growth of Greater Glory Children Ministry Daycare. “The process of working with CCI was much smoother than we had expected. Being that we were a new business and had not opened yet, we expected to have to jump through many more hoops.”
However, the experience of working with Carolina Community Impact was the complete opposite. Not only was it a personable and streamlined process, but it also opened the doors for the daycare to partner with local businesses to rectify plumbing, flooring, and electrical needs–investing not only in their children but other small businesses within the community.
“Things we were struggling to accomplish have been completed. Many tasks in the past were unfulfilled, compromised, and/or put on hold. Much has been realized now in the ministry. CCI’s outreach to us has been a stepping stone and a ladder to help us reach many goals that are beneficial to our students as well as the community.”
