Building Community Through Play

When Justina and her family moved to Ridgefield, Washington during the COVID pandemic, they quickly noticed something missing in their rapidly growing community: a safe, enriching space where young children could play and families could connect. As a mother of a four-year-old son, Justina understood firsthand the crucial need for early childhood socialization and development opportunities in Washington's fastest-growing city.

Drawing on her experience as a project manager in advertising and marketing, Justina developed plans for Junebug Play and Learning Space, an indoor play center designed specifically for children from six months to six years old. The space would not only provide for children's physical, social, mental, and emotional development through guided play and exploration but also offer various membership options, birthday party packages, camps, and even parent date-night childcare services.

Despite having strong personal credit and significant capital to invest, Justina faced a common challenge for startup businesses: traditional banks weren't willing to provide the necessary financing, even with her spouse's personal guarantee. That's when Craft3, a nonprofit community development financial institution, recognized both the need and the opportunity.

At Craft3, we look beyond conventional lending criteria to support projects with strong business prospects that also strengthen communities. Junebug Play and Learning Space perfectly aligned with our mission to fund minority and women-owned businesses that create lasting positive impacts.

A $250,000 construction loan from Craft3, financed the build out of this new play space. The center will create new jobs while providing essential services for Ridgefield's growing population of young families. Beyond its role as a play space, Junebug will serve as a community hub where parents can connect while their children play.

Through this partnership with Craft3, Justina is turning her vision of a family-centered community space into reality, demonstrating how community development financing can help ambitious entrepreneurs succeed.