MELFORT — An organization that serves adults with intellectual disabilities celebrated a major renovation of their facility.
PLUS Industries held their grand re-opening Nov. 30.
The organization serves 65 adults who have intellectual disabilities to help find employment in the community. Christine Waldner has been a participant with the program now for around four years.
“I love it,” Waldner said. “Nice people, nice clean, nice building.”
The facility is located on 609 Hamilton Avenue in Melfort.
“We have eight or more programs depending on how much you break them up and we support individuals in this area to gain employment skills,” said Melanie Erickson, program co-ordinator at PLUS Industries. “We also run a contract service program where we have jobs in the community to pay and have job coaches that go with them. They make minimum wage at those jobs.”
According to Erickson, previously the building was in poor shape.
“There were problems with the heating system and the duct work,” Erickson said. “We were vacuuming water for a few years, five or so years from the duct work where the heating came out of, so it wasn’t good quality of air. So we done the heating... the mice and things that would get in under the doors. So that has all been corrected and fixed and everything is current and looks much nicer.”
Fixing up existing problems wasn’t the only change with the facility.
“We recently just did an add-on then renovated an internal part,” Erickson said. “The add-on was to provide a computer room for individuals, computers for individuals in our program, and offices to serve the programs we have and renovated bathrooms.”
They also have a new series of rooms in the building.
“We have a sensory room people can go if they need some time alone or just a quiet space to recollect themselves and a seniors’ room where they may take a seniors’ program and they can go and take their activities there.”
Todd Goudy, MLA for Melfort, was in attendance at the grand re-opening. The provincial government provided $338,000 to PLUS Industries for the renovation.
“Since I’ve been a boy in this town PLUS Industries have been a huge part in our community,” Goudy said. “The joy that they bring to the hearts of the people here, this facility is nice for them to have but at the end of the day they have far more to offer us then we have to offer them. So the participates here, the volunteer, the staff, the board. This is a great day and the government is just glad to be a small part of this day but the main part is the people.”
