Abilities Unlimited marks 55th year in Hot Springs

Abilities Unlimited of Hot Springs will soon reach another milestone with its 55th anniversary of being in operation next month, but decided to break out the cake and celebrate a little early Thursday at its facility at 530 Mountain Pine Road.

Established in November 1961, Abilities is a center-based nonprofit organization that provides adults with disabilities a comprehensive training opportunity in job and life skills training. They are a licensed provider for Arkansas Rehabilitation Services of Arkansas and Arkansas Development Disabilities Services.

"We're so excited to celebrate 55 years and so thankful that we've been in Hot Springs for so long," Karen Kight, executive director, said Thursday, addressing a gathering of staff, clients and visitors, including several of the 18 members of the center's board of directors whom she described as "leaders in the community."

"We are very appreciative of the community that has always been so supportive of us," she said.

Mayor Ruth Carney spoke briefly, noting, "We are so excited you are in our community and that this facility is here for you. You are all a very important part of our community and I think what you are learning here and the opportunities you are getting are really great. I want to say thank you to all the families and teachers who support you.

"I think Arkansas and Garland County are a much better place because you're here."

Kight commended the staff, noting, "We have a very small staff considering all that we put on here every day. I cannot tell you the number of hats these people wear. They all pitch in wherever they're needed, whether it's on the production floor, at the reception desk, teaching a class or just helping someone out.

"We really do all work together to make sure everything goes right. It's a pretty happy place to be as you can tell."

Kight gave a brief history of the organization, noting they were originally formed by Bernard Nusko, a local insurance agent, and some other parents of disabled children. A local insurance agent, Nusko had a son, Charles Lloyd "Sonny" Nusko, who was disabled. "He and some other parents felt there was a great need to organize a place such as this."

She said they were first located at 150 Creek St., between Malvern and Broadway avenues, and then moved to a location on Ouachita Avenue that later burned. "We've been through some trials," she said, noting they moved to their current location in 1983.

"We've expanded in several areas," she said. "The original facility was 6,000 square feet and we paid $300 a month for the whole operation. Now we're at 40,000 square feet and recently added an additional $5,000 square feet next door."

The expansion contains their new Pathways to Employment program for clients age 14 to 21 to serve students from local school districts.

Shane Fletcher, a congressional staffer from the office of U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was at Thursday's ceremony, and Kight noted that Cotton "has really gone to bat for us. We owe a lot to him. He really knows what we are about and has a vision to help our program."

Kight also recognized some of the clients who have been there the longest, including Kevin Dillingham, 29 years, Alice Delmon, 29 years, Edna Thompson, 30 years, Leeroy McNeese, 35 years, Sherry Rieves, 41 years, Kathy Black, 43 years, and Donald Barnett, 43 years.

"Some people may think if a person has been in a sheltered workshop for many years that something is wrong," Kight said. "No. That means something is right. Because everyone who works has a place in society and we have some of the most dedicated, loyal and hard working folks here you could ever find."

She said many never want to miss work "because they're afraid they will miss something. They all have a purpose here."

Local on 10/23/2016

Upcoming Events