The Scheib Center celebrated the opening of David's Activity Hall, the organization's newest addition to its three-acre campus located in San Marcos. The building officially opened in July 2014.
The newly-remodeled 5,000 square foot facility provides activity space for the center's clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and modern office space for the Scheib Board of Directors and Hill Country Mental Health counseling staff. The Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, a partnership with local law enforcement that intervenes in emergency situations involving mental health, and the Peer to Peer mental health counseling group is also housed in the new facility.
Funds for the construction of David's Activity Hall were provided primarily by a donation from Judy Norsworthy, wife of the late David Norsworthy, for whom the building is named. Additional funds were provided by H-E-B, Lowe's, the city of San Marcos, the Burdette-Johnson Foundation and a Community Development Block Grant, in addition to many individual donors.
The building was remodeled from a structure originally erected in 1982 as a storage warehouse. It was later converted to office and meeting space, but had become outdated and inefficient. The newly remodeled space has a large activity room, several meeting rooms, storage areas, office space and a modern kitchen that can be used in job training for IDD clients, many of whom are able to obtain employment in the restaurant industry.
The opening of David's Activity Hall was accomplished in a two-year effort to enlarge and modernize the aging mental health care facility in order to serve a demand for services that has seen exponential growth in recent years.
In December of 2011, the Board of Directors voted to invest $80,000 to renovate and upgrade one of the original buildings that was being used for IDD services. This project was promptly begun and completed in June 2012.
With the completion of the renovation of the IDD building, the board turned its attention to the facilities used for mental health services. More space was needed in order to provide for an increase in demand for these services. Construction plans for a new 4,000 square foot building were prepared and the search for funding began. The Scheib board submitted an application to a statewide competition known as the Mueller Helping Hands Project. Out of more than 150 applicants, the Scheib Center was selected to receive the new building as a donation from The Mueller Company. The building frame, skin, roof and exterior doors were provided free, and the Scheib Board would have to raise funds for the foundation, landscaping and interior finishing work.
The Scheib Board held it's first major fundraiser in March of 2014, the Scheib Musicfest. Held in the Commemorative Air Force Hangar in San Marcos, the event featured three bands, a barbecue buffet featuring David Peterson's Moose's barbecue and silent and live auctions. Nearly 500 people came out to support Scheib and the event raised $15,000.
Scheib was awarded more than $315,000 in grants plus acquired a considerable sum in private donations. These funds enabled Scheib to complete the renovation and construction projects, upgrade the landscaping and complete the remodel of David's Activity Hall.
The next objective was the opening of the Youth Crisis Respite Center. This facility offers enhanced readily accessible services to youth with behavioral health crises in order to avoid psychiatric hospitalizations, and to youth who are displaying behaviors that place them at risk. The Respite Center is set up similar to a group home environment and minimizes the trauma associated with the child's situation.
Although the Scheib Board of Directors has been successful in raising the funds needed for these recent projects, additional funds are needed for furnishings, further landscaping, and to maintain these heavily used facilities.
“The local community has shown that ours is a caring community. They have shown that by opening their hearts and opening their wallets”, Board Chairman Lisa Spencer said. “But we still have unfunded needs.”
Those wishing to donate should contact Scheib at (512) 392-6803 or donations@scheibcenter.org.