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# Taking down the walls
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/taking-down-the-walls/
- Published: 2006-10-03T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:30:35.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Venice, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Breaking down walls gave cause to celebrate for members of St. Joseph Center’s staff, Board of Directors and building project team on Thursday.

The day marked the start of construction at the Center’s Hampton Drive headquarters in Venice. Father Anthony Gonzalez of St. Clement Catholic Church opened the event with a blessing that St. Joseph Center continue to serve the community for years to come. Attendees then had the opportunity to push down two of the building’s northern walls.

Construction actually began on St. Joseph Center’s main service site on Monday, Sept. 25, with the removal of the building’s roof, with Thursday’s festivities primarily ceremonial. Construction is currently scheduled to continue until the end of 2007.

St. Joseph Center, a social service agency based in Venice, is building new headquarters in efforts to better serve low-income children and families who need affordable child care, supplemental groceries and job training. For more information, please visit www.stjosephctr.org. Citizenship classes open their doors

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/100306-05_01.jpg)

of St. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 3, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/100306.pdf?ref=smdp.com)