Every year about this time, it seems appropriate to reflect upon the past 12 months and put in place new plans for the coming year. As I sit here pondering about what we all have been through, the experience has been one where our plans were for the most part “thrown out the window.” Everyone has learned how to navigate situations that we’d never seen before. These challenges became the norm for all of us over the past nine months.
I am confident in saying that the virus has affected every one of us, some worse than others in horrific ways. It would be fair to say that most everyone is working hard to keep themselves and other people safe, and in doing so, manage their way through these unforeseen challenges.
In fact, for Little Friends, keeping the people we serve and those individuals who provide these services safe in a way where we mitigate the risks of the virus has been our highest priority since March.
While this safety had to be the primary thing we focused on, as an organization we also chose to continue our efforts to find new space particularly for our School Programs and Center for Autism. Our future to remain a viable organization long-term depended upon it. After what has been a 2½-year journey, at the end of December, Little Friends will be moving less than 3 miles away to a new facility adjacent to Naperville, located on Diehl Road in Warrenville.
Since late August when we purchased the new building, we have been renovating our new facility to incorporate a new school filled with classrooms using leading edge technologies. With over 60,000 square feet of dedicated space to our School Programs, we soon will have capacity to double the number of students we can serve if need dictates. Unfortunately, the needs of individuals we serve continue to grow and we need to be positioned to be of help.
There are so many new features it is difficult to mention them all. However, one of the biggest changes is that the new facility will be all on one floor and will be ADA compliant for any child whose special needs require physical support. As part of this, we have planned for an inclusive playground in the courtyard of the building that can support over 150 children with individual activities at any point in time.
While the challenges of dealing with the virus have not gone away, we know the needs of the children we serve have not gone away either. It was with this in mind that we built this new facility to serve the children and families of our communities for years to come.
At this time of year, a new facility feels like a gift to Little Friends.
As we look to calendar year 2021, we look back with great appreciation of the community for all of the support that has enabled us to move. We look forward to getting past the virus in the not too distant future, and being there for families and children when their special needs exist.
