Expansion is a blessing for The Arc of the Ozarks in Springfield MO

About $1.5 million was donated for the project.

September 20, 2010|by Jay Scherder, KY3 News | jscherder@ky3.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Arc of the Ozarks is more than 50 years old but, just in the last three years, it's seen almost double the number of clients that it handles. Thankfully, a new expansion makes the load easier.

The building is quite impressive at 7,400 square feet. It was much needed; offices were cramped and some people were even working out of their cars. More clients than ever before are walking through the doors of The Arc of the Ozarks.

"We're in 10 counties in southwest Missouri," said Chief Advancement Officer Julie Guillebeau. "We cover a big area and we help a lot of people, but there is a lot more need out there."

Since Guillebeau joined the Arc in April 2007, the number of disabled clients has doubled from 400 to 800.

"We help them learn how to live independently: how to cook, how to clean, how to budget, how to grocery shop."

The number of dual diagnosis patients and autistic patients has seen the biggest increase. Serving that many clients has been difficult up until recently.

"Most offices had two to three people in them," Guillebeau said. "Productivity was a huge issue."

The Arc simply didn't have enough space. Many of the nurses had to work out of their cars because the space was simply too crammed inside.

Thanks to $1.5 million from private donors, that's no longer a problem. Plaques with donor names are all around the building.

"We've tried to recognize them everywhere," Guillebeau said.

While the new addition opened last December, they are still getting settled. The kitchen only opened just recently.

"The kitchen was totally inaccessible to somebody in a wheelchair and really wasn't a teaching kitchen. Now it's a teaching kitchen."

The upstairs is still a work in progress. For the clients, it's a better environment to learn everyday skills.

"All they were doing is making parfaits," Guillebeau said about their cooking class. "It was just so different for them and they really felt good about it."

For the staff, it's a much needed resource for their ever growing demand.

"We all sit there and think, 'How did we do this?'"

Guillebeau's desk until just recently was next to a fire exit. The room was made for one desk, but they somehow managed to shove two in there. Being so cramped caused tension occassionally. Because of confidentiality, if a client was meeting with a staff member, the other two people in the office had to leave.

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