Susan Moore brings more than a director’s perspective to the EEE Resource Center. She is a mother who has watched her daughter with special needs struggle to find a vocation as an adult.
Moore developed a vision for a center where those with nowhere else to go can gain skills, education and a purpose. EEE Resource Center, where she serves as executive director, opens Monday for 15 adult clients with special needs.
Her daughter Michelle, 24, will be one of them. Michelle has autism and after aging out of the school system — and with obstacles to stable employment — she has been staying with Moore’s father during the day.
Their situation is far from unique, Moore said. Many families with an adult who has special needs cannot afford all-day care, and service organizations tend to host events in the evenings, leaving the individuals at home with a relative or by themselves during working hours.
EEE Resource center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, with three components that aim to employ, educate and empower the clients, known as associates.
Of the 15 associates, who range in age from 20 to 50, none live independently. They will take part in the nonprofit organization at no cost.
In the vocation center, the group will run a laundry service in partnership with small home healthcare businesses in the area. More than shredding paper, Moore said it gives clients the sense they are giving back in a tangible way to members of the community.
“It provides a service for them and it provides income for us,” she said.
Moore added being part of a business will hold the center’s clients accountable for their actions and give them ownership over the project.
The environment is designed to help the associates succeed, especially for those who have tried to work but have been unable to manage the requirements. There will be breaks for associates frequently, as well as a quiet room with a bed, chair and soft light for them to decompress if they become overstimulated.
“These are things that they need,” Moore said. “They can’t work four hours straight and then have a lunch break. That’s not realistic.”
By interacting with their peers in a space deemed safe, they replace self-consciousness with a sense of camaraderie.
“They are very empathetic with each other. They can even calm each other down,” Moore said.
EEE Resource Center also has and continuing education area, where associates will work with staff and computer programs to further their knowledge, as well a library for their use and large kitchen setup to learn about healthy eating and lifestyles.
Moore was looking for the right venue to house the center — something with wide open spaces so clients do not feel too compacted. Part of a building on John Tyler Highway near the intersection with Ironbound Road proved a good fit.
“My daughter walked in and saw the stage, and that was it,” Moore said. Michelle also helped pick out the colors to brighten up the space.
While the center is self-contained, Moore stressed she expects the organization and its clients to be actively engaged with the community. She plans to work with other groups that cater to residents with special needs, like the Arc of Greater Williamsburg and Capernaum, including offering up the location for them to host events.
As part of their outreach efforts, associates will adopt a grandparent and participate in the annual Christmas parade. They will also mentor area youth who have disabilities.
“These young kids with special needs can say, ‘Wow, if they can do it, I can do it, too.’ There’s something to look forward to,” Moore said. “Each is empowering the other in their own way.”
She hopes the resource aspect of the center will serve a need in the area, and the organization will be one people can turn to with questions or for support.
While current associates have been selected, there are already names on a wait-list. Moore has a vision for expanding in the future, gradually increasing up to 30 clients in the next two years, but is currently limited by the size of the staff: four full-time and two part-time employees. Her goal is to sometime accept clients will all types of disabilities, including those who need one-on-one assistance, but it is an aspiration that relies on funding.
She does not want EEE Resource Center to grow so fast it becomes institutionalized and loses track of its mission of empowering its associates to achieve their full potential in life.
To learn more about EEE Resource Center, visit its website.
