Photo: This church building on Pleasant Hill Road in Olive Branch is set to become the new home of the Arc Northwest Mississippi later this spring. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
The non-profit organization that the past several years has brought advocacy, awareness and programming for intellectual and developmental disabilities should be in a new home as we head into the spring.
The Arc Northwest Mississippi will leave their Getwell Road offices in Southaven and move into what has been a church on Pleasant Hill Road in Olive Branch. It’s expected that the move will happen either late March or early April, said Executive Director Rebecca Treadway. A capital campaign is underway to complete the financing.
Rebecca Treadway
The organization had plans to move and build a new building further north on Getwell in Southaven, until the Magnolia Baptist Church facility became available.
“We originally purchased a 2.6 piece of land on Getwell and we started to work on getting a building plan for it done,” said Treadway. “Then, real estate agent Wayne Bartley said there was a building on Pleasant Hill Road in Olive Branch that came up for sale. We realize that doing this would cost a third of what it was going to cost to build new. We put our land up for sale and sold it and we put an offer on this building.”
The Arc Northwest Mississippi has been looking for about two years for a home that would house most all of the many programs that are offered. It will be known as the Arc Northwest Mississippi Achievement Center.
“We will put all of our programming here, except for Camp BOLD, and we’re looking forward to possibly starting a day program or doing new things in the community that people with disabilities need,” Treadway said.
There are over a dozen different programs that are offered and they’ve all been held away from the Arc’s offices due to space limitations. They range from the training program for law enforcement and first responders on how to deal with people with autism, to social clubs, a job readiness program, a parent support group, and Superable Fitness and more. The length and size of the summer Camp BOLD program means it will likely continue at Longview Heights Baptist Church, where it’s been held for a number of years.
But, Treadway is aware being out in the community does have advantages.
“There are some benefits for being out in other spaces,” she said. “It lets people in the community be aware of what we do and bring our people to the forefront of their minds. But, it is more comfortable for our people to be in the same space, because it’s more predictable for them. It allows us to do more by not having to keep moving everything from place to place. When we’re in one spot we’re able to do more programming.”
With the new facility, Treadway believes the Arc Northwest Mississippi will be able to continue serving as a parent support and advocacy organization for those with disabilities, further develop a better understanding by the public, work for more legislation on behalf of persons with disabilities, and other important facets that benefit families.
Itś also thought the center could have other community clubs have access to the facility.
