Lands' End provides Bright Spaces for children

A donation of time, money and enthusiasm from capital region clothing manufacturer Lands' End has resulted in some new children's play areas at a Madison homeless shelter.

Bright Spaces ? specially designed areas that provide children with opportunities for stimulating and enriching play ? opened at the YWCA at 101 E. Mifflin St.

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For almost three months, more than 30 Lands' End volunteers painted brightly colored murals, built upholstered furniture and hung intricate mobiles to engage the minds of children with few developmental resources.

The company also donated $10,000 to buy toys, books, games and other supplies. Martha Harrison, director of Backup Daycare, a child-care program at Lands' End in Dodgeville, offered her expertise in early childhood education to create focal points for the Madison project. The Bright Spaces project includes a reading nook, a room to rock an infant to sleep and a carnival room with a tiny stage where children can play act and make believe.

At a dedication ceremony attended by homeless children and their parents, Harrison said the new play areas will give children a place to learn and create dreams.

"A space like this makes it possible for those dreams to carry on and grow into the future," she said.

Working with the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, a national organization that funds the creation of innovative child-care facilities, Lands' End Chief Executive Officer Mindy Meads said the company hopes to establish similar programs throughout the state.

"We're enjoying our partnership with Bright Horizons Foundation for Children. The experience with Madison YWCA was a positive one for all," Meads said in a statement. "We look forward to exploring other areas in Wisconsin that may need bright spaces of their own."