Results: We are raising money to purchase a building! We found the perfect building in a great location for our program. It is priced at $399,000. Footprints in Time is person-centered and we have a wide range of functionality so we teach skills geared to each individual and their needs. We currently have 21 participants with many more that want to enroll but are just not able to get here with no public transportation options in Missaukee county. The church that we currently rent a space from during the week (Tuesday-Friday) uses this space for their church functions so we have to pack everything up and move it into two small rooms in the back of the church. This makes it difficult to get things necessary to provide services to our clients. Everything has to be mobile and compact to be able to put away at the end of each day. We have had to rent a storage unit because we are simply outgrowing the available space. While we are very grateful to the church for sharing their space with us for the last 6 years, Footprints continues to grow and it is time for us to have a more permanent home of our own. Owning our own building would enable Footprints to have permanent fixtures set up for sensory rooms, such as, water and sand tables for texture, sensory walls, quiet rooms for sensory overload, as well as a large room for group activities. We also dream of a full access kitchen with adaptive equipment to teach kitchen skills to our higher functioning individuals along with rooms set up to teach our clients how to live a more independent lifestyle and possibly enter the workforce! We would have a fully functional "apartment" set up so each participant can practice ADL'S (Activities of Daily Living) at their own level of ability. We staff 4 to 1 so there is always a staff member to assist and ensure the safety of our individuals. The building we are currently trying to get is also in Wexford county, which does have public transportation, therefore we will be able to take small groups out into the community to raise awareness as well as teach our participants in real life situations (once they complete training scenarios in house) Public safety, money skills, social interaction, banking, shopping, visiting the post office...etc. The opportunities that this beautiful property opens up for Footprints in Time to grow as a program are endless. This program plays such a vital role in the lives of the developmentally and intellectually disabled individuals we serve, we really need a permanent home to ensure the continuation of the much needed services that we provide. Thank you for taking the time to read a little about Footprints in Time. God Bless!
Target demographics: Adults with developmental disabilities
Direct beneficiaries per year: 22 disabled adults
Geographic areas served: Lake City, MI
Programs: skill building oportunities, assisting/teaching activities of daily living, community inclusion
