A cause that is particularly close to our hearts
By Tina Cargile, Business Development Manager, Life Sciences Division
McElroy Translation is committed to sharing our good fortune and success with organizations that serve the less fortunate. Our culture of giving goes well beyond a corporate philanthropy program, which has been inspired in large part by the time and commitment our individual employees have regularly given in support of worthy causes, as well as to one another.
Clay Browne, Senior Editing Coordinator at McElroy, has diligently volunteered for 10 years at the Austin Children’s Shelter. Since 1984, the Austin Children’s Shelter (ACS) has provided a safe haven for abused and neglected children. We were delighted to be able to assist in ACS’s exciting expansion to a new campus by translating their ground-breaking announcements, in addition to previous pro bono work. But we wanted to do more. So, in honor of Clay Browne, we have added to our commitment by providing a financial donation to the shelter. Kelly Smith, Corporate Giving Manager for the Austin Children’s Shelter, visited us at the McElroy offices this week to accept the donation and enjoy lunch with Clay, Shelly Priebe, our President, and others on our staff. Please read on for more information about ACS, their mission, their growth…but do not stop, gentle readers, before you read Clay’s wonderful account of just one of his many special moments with the children at the Shelter. It will surely touch your heart.
On February 28, 2008, the Shelter broke ground on a new campus to not only serve more children but also expand into new services.
The major expansion includes five residential cottages for children from newborns to 17 years old and three support buildings to provide emergency shelter, residential treatment care and family-based services for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
“This expansion provides an opportunity to reach beyond emergency care and meet the needs of the children who cannot immediately succeed in a foster home,” said ACS Executive Director Gena VanOsselaer. “We have been given an incredible opportunity to expand not only our facilities, but the services we offer children as well as their families.“
Expansion of the facilities will eventually allow ACS to care for as many as 78 children at a time—more than doubling its current capacity. The new campus will be built on approximately 13 acres of land adjacent to the new Mueller community donated by Dick and Sara Rathgeber.
In the current facilities ACS cares for approximately 300 children annually but is forced to turn away, on average, more than 350 children each year due to lack of bed space or because a child has a much higher level of need than the shelter can safely provide in its current facilities. During the past three years, ACS has experienced a continual rise in the number of children needing placement who have more intense emotional and behavioral problems directly related to the severity of abuse and neglect they have endured, and who need therapeutic care.
"The Shelter is a place of safety, stability and hope for children who come from tumultuous situations. It is sad that the demand in today's society for places such as this is so great," said Gary Farmer, chair of the Capital Campaign Committee. "Thanks to generous donors, this new campus will be built and allow ACS to provide a positive and nurturing environment for so many children who are at risk."
Of the five cottages, two are emergency shelters for school-aged children—one for boys and one for girls. The third emergency shelter is a specialized cottage equipped for infants and toddlers on one side, while offering flexibility to care for teen parents with young children on the other side. Two more cottages, called Therapeutic Living Centers (TLC), give ACS the opportunity to care for youth in middle and high school who need longer—term care in a residential treatment care facility.
In addition to the five cottages, three support buildings are planned. The general services building meets three primary functions: meal preparation, laundry and maintenance for the facilities and vehicles. The program services building will house the medical facilities and administrative offices. This building will also provide space for family-based services—a new avenue for the shelter. The final building is the education and recreational services building which will include an on-site school, computer lab, library, a gym and space for arts and crafts.
For more information about the Austin Children's Shelter expansion or how to make a donation, visit their website at www.austinchildrenshelter.org or call Steve Anderson at (512) 236-2507.
