03 Mar Developing Potential, Inc. Receives $7,500 Grant from Hallmark Corporate Foundation

Developing Potential, Inc. recently received a grant for $7,500 from the Hallmark Corporate Foundation to improve conditions and safety at their Lee’s Summit facility.

The grant will assist in replacing aging and broken furniture and flooring.  These replacements are necessary for proper delivery of program services and to ensure a safe and comfortable environment.

The Lee’s Summit facility is one of three used on a daily basis to provide Developing Potential’s programming, including both the Day Habilitation program and the Community Integration program.  All of DPI’s program participants must be able to move around the facilities in a safe manner, and should have access to safe and comfortable tables and chairs for basic program activities. This was becoming especially problematic at DPI’s Lee’s Summit location. The carpeting in certain classroom areas was ripped and torn in some sections, and threadbare and stained in other areas. In other areas, linoleum tiles were peeling away from the floor. Many individuals at DPI utilize wheelchairs for mobility, and many others have other mobility issues that prevent them from lifting their feet when they walk. Carpeting and tiles that are torn, threadbare, or coming up from the floor present safety issues for these individuals, as they can trip on the flooring, while those utilizing wheelchairs may also be impeded by the deteriorating flooring. The new carpeting and vinyl tiling will both improve safety conditions and make moving around DPI’s facility easier for all individuals at the Lee’s Summit facility.  In addition, all program participants use DPI’s tables and chairs. These are basic furniture elements that are often taken for granted, yet are critical for program activities. Many of the tables at the Lee’s Summit location had large gouges, cracks, and even holes, and some have legs that cannot be leveled, resulting in permanently wobbly tables. Many of the chairs were in similar disrepair, and were also in need of replacement. The new tables and chairs will allow for increased comfort and better services.

Developing Potential (DPI) has been providing day habilitation services to adults with developmental disabilities since 1993. DPI began with just one location and eight individuals served. Today, DPI serves more than 145 individuals at three locations in the Kansas City metropolitan area.