The Christian-based therapeutic day care on Trickum Road plans to expand this spring into the adjacent space currently being used by Baby More Thrift Store. The store is consolidating its operations with The Hope Center and moving into a Molly Lane location.
Lori Baker, president and founder of Next Step Ministries, said the move would add an additional 2,000 square feet. This will provide staff and clients more space to conduct learning exercises, she said.
The nonprofit organization caters to young adults with profound mental and physical disabilities to maintain the skills they learned in school.
The program costs $300 per week for a full-time client. For those "drop-in" clients who visit for a few hours at a time, the fee is $9 per hour.
The center is open from Mondays through Fridays for regular programs, and young adults begin arriving around 8 a.m.
Their days are mapped out with prayer time and reviewing the day's activities at 9:30 a.m., followed by a morning working on fine- and gross-motor activities and computer and academic skills.
After a noon lunch break, clients have social time and an hour to socialize. A typical day will wrap up at 6 p.m.
The center is operated by certified staff, and volunteers help clients perform activities and assist the staff.
Ms. Baker said there are six special-needs adults enrolled in the Monday-through-Friday program. A few more, she said, visit once or twice a week.
The ministry has also started a Saturday Respite program for its clients. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each Saturday, the adults share a lunch of pizza and soda and participate in a cooking or craft activity. The cost is $25.
"It's geared towards them having a fun day," Ms. Baker said, adding about eight adults come to the Saturday program each week.
Ms. Baker said this summer, she will offer a "day camp-type" program for moderately to profoundly disabled special-needs students who are in middle school and high school as well as young adults.
Community organizations have stepped up in providing Next Step Ministries with funding for its operations.
The organization received a $15,000 matching grant from the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation last November. The monies are being used for operating expenses, to purchase a lift for clients with wheelchairs and to provide scholarships for the Saturday Respite program.
Ms. Baker said the funds also would help purchase a computer and communications-aid devices for nonverbal clients.
Mountain Road Elementary School's PTA and Student Council recently collected kitchen utensils for the organization.
Caldwell Bankers donated $700 toward its Saturday Respite Program, and the Service League of Cherokee County and the Canton-Cherokee Business & Professional Women gave funds for the program as well.
The organization also was one of the charities that benefitted from BPW's annual fall fashion show in October, Ms. Baker said.
"I think when people understand what we are doing, they really want to help," she said as to why the program is gaining support.
Martha Randt, a teacher at Next Step Ministries, said the program benefits participants.
She said examples include an adult who has learned to count up to 40, one who has learned to sort colors and another who has learned to match colors.
For Candy Gaston's special-needs adult daughter, the program has been a "blessing."
Ms. Gaston, who lives in east Cobb, said Next Step Ministries gives her daughter the chance to participate in activities and be around people.
"She loves going because it's like when she went to Pope High School," she added.
Ms. Gaston said she also feels comfortable with Next Step's Christ-centered operations.
Nan Durio said her special-needs daughter, Jenny, has been enrolled in Next Step for nearly a year, and she's already seeing results.
Jenny, who is developmentally delayed and non-verbal, has not only become more social, but is also finding new ways to express herself.
"We can see a big change in her personality," said Mrs. Durio, who lives in east Cobb.
Before Next Step, Mrs. Durio said Jenny would be "bored" at home with nothing to do. Jenny had been out of high school for six years before the Durios found out about Next Step.
Mrs. Durio said not only does Jenny enjoy going to the program each week day, she also has become especially fond of playing with other students and its music classes.
Mrs. Durio said she hopes other parents consider enrolling their special-needs adult children into Next Step.
"It keeps the children up to par with the activities they were doing in school," she said. "It also keeps them stimulated."
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