Move In Day a Wonderful Mess
It was still a bit of a mess, but it was already starting to feel a lot like home.
That was the assessment from D&HHS staff as Day One began in the new offices at the Special Olympics of Michigan Unified Sports and Inclusion Center on 68th Street near Division Avenue in Grand Rapids.
“We knew it would be a bit chaotic today,” said community and partnerships manager Erica Chapin. “It’s a bit like moving into a new house. At first, there’s boxes everywhere, and you might not know where everything is, but you know you’ll eventually get it all unpacked and get everything in the right place. And we can already tell this space is going to be great. Not just for us but also the people we serve.”
In the midst of boxes and plants and printers and phones, it was business as usual for the interpreter referral team of Bethany Faulkner, Jessica Oliver, and Brianna Beck.
Across the hall, community education coordinator Nancy Piersma, accountant Denise Stephenson and Chapin were busy working and setting up their new spaces.
Advocacy specialist Francine Dozier was next door in the Life Skills room with Tuesday Group, and volunteer coordinator Linda Bylsma was waiting on the movers who were coming from the old location on 44th Street where executive director Deb Atwood was going over the final steps of the move and taking care of last-minute details.
And though it will be a few weeks yet before 160 68th Street SW, Suite 140 is fully complete and ready for a prime-time open house (slated for August 18), the enthusiasm and excitement was evident among the staff on this Tuesday, June 14 move-in day.
And gleaming paint on walls and doors, fresh carpet on the floor, good lighting and clean matching desks and chairs all added to the good vibes, said Chapin.
“Everything looks great,” she said. “Our contractor did excellent work. As you stand in this space today, it’s hard to believe it was once a high school science lab!”
D&HHS’s new home is part of a massive project which is being headed up by Special Olympics of Michigan and will see the 127,000 square foot former South Christian High School (which includes two gyms and a 735-seat auditorium) become home to 10 non-profits, all of which have advocacy and empowerment at the heart of everything they do.
“We are thrilled to be joining Special Olympics of Michigan, Autism Support of Kent County, Brody’s Be Café, Disability Advocates of Kent County, Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan, Far Out Volleyball Club, Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan/be nice, MOKA and Thresholds in this new space,” said Atwood.
She added that the opportunity for those D&HHS serves to be able to come to the new space and access not just D&HHS but also so many other non-profits at the same time was a big reason for the move.
“This will be a space of access and inclusion, providing many opportunities to our communities for many years to come,” she said.
There is still work to be done with finishing touches and unpacking! And we are just 8% away from our capital campaign goal. Donate today to help us reach our goal and complete our new home.