Paris, TX -- The Meadows Foundation of Dallas has awarded the Red River Valley Down Syndrome Society a grant in the amount of $20,000 to support the creation and maintenance of its Down Syndrome Resource Center. The facility opened August 1, 2007 with an Open House slated for a later date. The Center will be open weekdays, some evenings, and Saturday mornings for public access as well as by appointment.
The grant will fund the center to increase and improve programs and services to individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and other professional members of the society. The facility will be utilized as a headquarters for the Red River Valley Down Syndrome Society, as a location for support group meetings, workshops and presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on activities for children, and will house a computer lab and resource library. Programs at the Center will vary, aiming to meet the needs of children, parents, teachers, and other professionals.
"We want to make our resources more accessible to our members and the community," said Deanna Tharpe, Executive Director and Founder of the Red River Valley Down Syndrome Society. "This grant will go a long way toward enabling us to fulfill our mission of support, education and awareness."
The new 1200-square-foot Resource Center will open its doors to the community as a regional facility, rather than just a center for Lamar County. Inside, members will find the organization’s expanding resource library, full of various types of information on Down syndrome in numerous formats.
A computer/learning lab will include computer stations with educational software and internet access for research. A large meeting area will be available for monthly support group meetings, social events for children and young adults, and educational workshops for both families and professionals.
An additional room has been designated as a "recreation/play room" for younger visitors to utilize while parents and other family members are taking advantage of the resources at the Center.
This room will be designed with the younger set in mind, with lots of activities and toys available.
"Our organization is growing," said Tharpe. "This facility will help us offer more support to our members in the twelve counties that we service in northeast Texas and southeast Oklahoma. Our hope is that with this facility located in Paris, it will serve as a hub for more outreach in the counties around us. We want to be able to offer more and more outside programs while giving our members a haven for information and support that is available to them on a daily basis."
The Meadows Foundation is a private philanthropic institution established in 1948 by Algur H. and Virginia Meadows to benefit the people of Texas. The Foundation's mission is to assist the people and institutions of Texas to improve the quality and circumstances of life for themselves and future generations.
Foundation grants support work in fields of art and culture, civic and public affairs, education, health, and human services. The foundation also has a particular philanthropic interest in three areas: public education (particularly in the areas of early child development, enhanced reading skills and teacher preparation), mental health and the environment.