(Following are two articles which appeared in the Morning News about PADD's Ground Breaking Ceremony)
Developmentally disabled to have new home in Florence
By TERRY WARD
Morning News
Sunday, November 6, 2005
FLORENCE - Tangible seeds were planted Sunday with the turning of earth, as ground was broken on the new home for developmentally disabled people.
The Presbyterian Agency for the Developmentally Disabled is building the home near U.S. 52 and Pisgah Road.
"I'm excited and very happy. It is a great day for my whole family," said Betty Lou Barclay, a PADD board member who was on hand to see the genesis of the first home of its kind for the Pee Dee's New Harmony Presbytery.
Robert Kearns, chairman of the PADD board, credited Barclay and her husband, Don, with forming the idea, many years ago, for a home to house the developmentally disabled.
"She and Don are really thrilled to see this day come. It has been a long time to get to this point," Kearns said. "This is very fulfilling."
Barclay, like Kearns, has a developmentally disabled daughter.
When completed, the home that will be built on the site of Sunday's groundbreaking ceremony will house six residents.
The 3,000-square-foot facility will be built next to the Presbyterian Home of South Carolina.
"It will be a good relationship for us. Hopefully residents (of the Presbyterian Home) may be able to move children that they are caring for (into the PADD home) and have them close by," said Walt Hickman, Presbyterian Home administrator.
Hickman said the home would allow developmentally disabled residents to live independently.
Kearns said the groundbreaking ceremony allowed him to thank all of the people who have supported creation of the home.
He said the Presbyterian Home of S.C., which was represented Sunday by president John Kelbaugh, gave the property where the home will be built.
Kearns also said the New Harmony Presbytery gave the PADD board $200,000 it collected to build the home.
"And they are supporting operations with regular donations" Kearns said of the presbytery.
Others who were on hand to welcome the new home included Florence Mayor Frank Willis.
Executive Presbyter Franklin Colclough, Rev. Chris Handley, of Florence's First Presbyterian Church, Ella Busby and Mary Carolina Vaught, PADD board members, and Gene Fallon also attended the groundbreaking.
The Unity Choir from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Alcolu and Clay Brown of New Harvest Presbyterian Church provided music.
Kelbaugh also announced Sunday that the Presbyterian Home of S.C. could have plans for another home for the developmentally disabled in Horry County in the next few years.
Kearns said work on the home in Florence would begin in 2006. He said the plans to put the project out for bid are being made.
Presbytery to build home for women with special needs
By DWIGHT DANA
Morning News
Friday, November 4, 2005
Groundbreaking for the first home of the Presbyterian Agency for the Developmentally Disabled will be at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Plans call for the building to house six developmentally disabled women, along with a resident counselor to provide care.
It will be located on a lot between the Presbyterian Home of South Carolina and the Girl Scout Regional Headquarters near U.S. 52 and Pisgah Road.
"PADD exists for the benefit of developmentally disabled adults," said Bob Kearns of Hartsville, chairman of the volunteer board of trustees. "Our mission is to provide the highest quality of life and the greatest possible level of independence for each resident within the context of a community-based residential facility."
PADD's assets include 4.3 acres adjacent to the Presbyterian Home. The organization has $370,000 in the bank and is applying for other grants.
Kearns said house plans and site design are completed and the board is dedicated to the project and the support of the presbytery. PADD was organized by the Presbytery of New Harmony in Florence, a presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA.
Kearns said PADD's immediate objectives are to select residents, raise the remaining funds required to build and operate the first home, establish community support and build and occupy the first home in Florence.
Among PADD's purposes are to minister to the disabled, build and operate homes, coordinate services, create programs, maintain standards and raise funding.
Kearns became involved with PADD when he was asked to serve on the board. He had just retired from Sonoco and had the time to spearhead the effort. He also has a daughter who is developmentally disabled.
He said the home is just for women because it has to be made either for men or women.
"We wanted to make this a single-sex home because this is basically the model that we are following from the United Methodists up in North Carolina," he said. "Our understanding is that most of the homes they have built next to retirement centers like the Presbyterian Home have been for women. Also, we have a number of women who have applied and we felt we could go ahead and make that call at this time."
Kearns said the key for those staying at the home will be to find six women who are compatible in terms of their abilities as well as their ages. A rough rule of thumb, he said, would be to have them within 10 years of each other in terms of age.
Plans call for getting one home operational to show the community and state PADD has an operational model that works and that people have confidence in. The next step would be to build some more around the state.
"Chances are we would look for the next one down toward the Conway-Myrtle Beach-Georgetown area because that would be the other end of our presbytery," he said.
Those involved said they hope to have the Florence home up and running by next winter. It will be licensed as a Community Residential Care Facility by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Kearns said the pro forma cost for a resident to live in the home would be about $1,400 a month.
"Given the wide range of situations facing the developmentally disabled, it is difficult to generalize on the source of these funds," he said. "Most probably, the cost would be covered from a combination of entitlement programs and private funding provided from churches, community organizations, foundations, businesses, PADD-sponsored fundraising activities and gifts."
The idea for PADD was planted by Don and Betty Lou Barclay of Dillon. Their main concern for persons with special needs is "what would happen to them when their caregivers are no longer able to care for them?"
They wrote a letter to the Presbytery of New Harmony expressing their concerns. A survey was taken in a presbytery meeting to discern the feelings of others with the churches regarding the issue.
The survey revealed "there was much concern and compassion" and "a large percentage of the Presbyterians were caring for, or knew someone who was caring for persons with special needs."
