Center Needs Donations

LARGER ADULT DEVELOPMENT BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION

By John Gore

Posted: November 6, 2009 at 9:21 a.m.

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ROGERS — The annual open house Thursday at the Adult Development Center of Benton County was the organization’s last open house at that Town West Drive location.

A larger building is under construction at 2802 N. 24th St.

“We hope next fall we will be holding our annual open house in our new facility,” said Allison McElroy, foundation director.

Brenda Neal, executive director, couldn’t hold back tears of joy when she talked about the new building.

“It’s hard for me to believe next year we will have a facility that meets your needs,” Neal said as she addressed the crowded room of clients and open house visitors.

“And I promise not to cry next year,” Neal added.

The new 36,000-square-foot building is three times the size of the current facility and the workshop area will be climate controlled, unlike the current facility which is hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

The expanded facility will allowthe center to do more and bigger jobs in the workshop, because it will have forklift capabilities and additional storage. Center o◊cials have turned down some jobs because of a lack space, McElroy said.

Being able to accept more and bigger jobs will allow the center to increase the number of clients served.

“It’s a win-win for everyone involved.” Neal said. “We can do jobs for local companies cheaper than they could do in-house. It will raise our revenue so we can accept more clients and help them earn their own money. Everybody wins.”

The center serves approximately 100 clients.

Wal-Mart, Ring Snuggies, Daisy Manufacturing and Outdoor Products are some of the businesses that have contracts with the center.

Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin said leaving the current will be sad but Neal replied “Not sad at all!”

A smiling McCaslin agreed it was time for the center to move on, and praised the center for the 34 years of contribution to the community, clients and customers.

Ro ge rs M ayo r Steve Womack picked up on the same theme.

“It not sad at all to leave this building for a new facility but there is no sadness about the good work that has be accomplished here,” Womack said, adding more would be accomplished in better a modern, better equipped building.

Grace Dennis, who has worked at the center for about eight months, picked up her work as soon as the ceremonies concluded.

“I love working here. Imeet new people and make new friends,” said Dennis, who works five days a week, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

She also takes great pride in her work because, she said, “It’s important we do it right.”

The Adult Development Center is short of the $6.4 million it needs to pay for the new facility and is actively seeking donations.

“We have about $5.3 million as of today,” McElroy said Thursday. “We’ll accept any donation,large or small.”

Womack and McCaslin both made personal donations to the center during the open house.

Front page, Pages 1 on 11/06/2009

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