Grass Roots Solutions – Families Embracing Autism Together (FEAT)
National Care Advisors is proud to shine a spotlight on a non-profit organization that was formed to solve a problem for individuals with special needs in rural Virginia.
South Hill is a small town located in Mecklenburg County, Virginia – about an hour and a half south of Richmond. Unfortunately, this county had limited services for individuals with special needs and parents of children diagnosed with Autism had to drive to Richmond for therapies. There were very few organized options for socialization and life skills training – specific for individuals with Autism - in the county.
In 2016 – FEAT was founded by parents of children with Autism and initially started by providing training sessions for parents, educators, community members and others interested in learning more about working and supporting individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Socialization and recreational activities soon followed through Buddy Ball, Sensory Santa, and Pumpkin Patch events.
The organization was successful in obtaining corporate grant funds as well as support from the local community and school district. Programming continued to grow and the organization determined that their community would benefit from a designated center as a hub for all types of activities.
FEAT has been able to develop a local volunteer Board of Directors that includes a variety of professionals who have proven incredibly effective in finding solutions to meet the goals of the organization. Private donations as well as grant money were raised to open a dedicated center.
In the fall of 2023, FEAT opened the Bailey Center For Special Needs in a recently closed commercial building in the community of South Hill. The owner of the building provides the premises at a fair rent and local contractors donated time and materials for the accessibility modifications that were necessary for the center to operate. The organization raised enough private funds to hire a Center director. FEAT has not received any public funding through the State or County.
The Bailey Center was able to recruit licensed therapists that were willing to rent space in the building to bring their services to the South Hill community. The rent offsets the operating expenses of the center as well as bringing the expertise of the therapists to the socialization and recreational activities offered by the center. The center relies on donations and nominal fees for activities – but turns away no one.
The Bailey Center now offers socialization and recreational programming to individuals with special needs, regardless of their diagnosis. Future goals include developing a summer day camp program, expanding life skills training, and providing services for individuals as they age out of childhood. It is anticipated that they will outgrow their current building sooner rather than later.
Where there was a problem – there is now a solution because of a parent’s vision, a small town community that came together, and excellent leadership.
National Care Advisors is proud to support FEAT, with plans to provide special needs quality of life and benefits consulting services educational seminars for parents involved with this organization in the coming year.
The solutions for quality of life are achievable when the entire community collaborates – one small town at a time. For more information, visit FEAT's website HERE.