The Green River Area Down Syndrome Association (GRADSA) has secured its first permanent location. Officials said they are elated in anticipation of hosting their first event at the new facility on World Down Syndrome Day on March 21.
The new location on Commonwealth Court — behind Pizza by the Guy off KY 54 — features seven large rooms and a kitchenette. Their primary office will remain in the Logsdon Community Center where they presently host many of their classes and programs.
Executive Director Tiffany Thrash said the organization has been longing for its own location for several years, and this was the perfect opportunity for them.
“Having a place to call home has been a goal of mine, the board, and our families for years,” she said. “When the owners of the plaza agreed to work with us on an affordable price, it literally was a deal we couldn’t resist. I’m so thankful for their cooperation to make this possible.”
GRADSA has many aspirations for the new facility that include classes and programs for individuals with Down syndrome along with many events for their families. One such program is their employment enhancement program that they formed in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society out of Washington D.C. and Arc of Northern Virginia.
The program provides training opportunities for adults with Down syndrome to prepare them to enter the workforce with maximum independence. Arc created an app that allows a manager or supervisor to create a training program that the individuals can use for on-the-job training.
“The Society reached out to us to participate as a trial run before rolling it out nationally,” she said. “The app is essentially a technological guide and mentor. This will benefit organizations everywhere and we’re excited to try it first. We’ve completed the training and we want to incorporate it into our skill-building classes.”
GRADSA offers skill-building classes to individuals with Down syndrome ranging from age 5 to adult. Within those classes, they hope to partner with local teachers to also tailor their instruction around a child’s individualized education plan.
In addition to providing classes, GRADSA wants to stay grounded in its roots, which is to provide and maintain the family support group feel.
“We want our families to be able to come together and we hope this new location creates more opportunities for them to do so,” she said. “We will be able to do several new things and we want our families to continue to be heavily involved.”
Though COVID-19 has put a damper on many of their fundraising and community-involvement efforts as of late, Thrash remains optimistic that the new building will create additional opportunities for community interaction.
“While safety will remain our number one priority, we want the community to see all of this because we couldn’t do this without them, our friends, and our families,” she said. “Our constituents love people — they want to be around people. We think this facility will create great networking opportunities for them.”
One project they are planning is to serve coffee by donation only out of their new location one day per week beginning in April. They also hope to move their annual spaghetti fundraiser to the facility along with many other fundraising efforts.
GRADSA has completed the groundwork to begin accepting Medicaid, but they anticipate having to wait some time for approval from the state amid the pandemic. In a typical year, their expense budget can reach upwards of $50,000 — which they raise through generous donations, grants, and fundraising.
