Wednesday, July 14, 2010, By Deena
DiBacco
County Center for
Autism has new building with more room
PENNSVILLE TWP. -
Two years ago, Daniel K. Galey chose to shoot for the moon in an effort
to locally aid those with autism.
He couldn't find
an autism center for his 12-year-old son, Ross. The closest were in
Tennessee and Kentucky and services there were estimated in the
$90,000-a-year range.
So he pitched an
idea to Salem County Health and Wellness Foundation, and got a
five-year, $1.7 million grant. In November of 2008, Galey opened the
Salem County Center for Autism.
In
a year-and-a-half, the non-profit center went from eight clients to 90.
And now, the rising numbers can be helped at a larger building the
center's moving to.
"A lot of parents
stand in my waiting room, and when I tell them the services they can
have, for free, for nothing, they just stand there and cry," said Galey.
The center will
move from 90 North Broadway to 193 North Broadway. The new
3,500-square-foot building - the old Kurland Pharmacy - was donated by
its owners Charles and Diane Melamut last year, will add 1,000 more
square feet of space. Galey hopes to open the new building in the spring
of 2011.
"As of January
first, with our non-profit status, we won't have to pay property taxes
on the new building," he said.
It'll save the
Autism Center $17,000 in property taxes and $60,000 in rent per year.
Galey can't
predict how many more clients the new space will let him accept. He will
reconstruct the interior of the old pharmacy accommodate his clients,
aged 3 to 29 years.
"It's going to
cost money, and I thought, how can we do that," he said. "Then it hit me
- what if we find sponsors for our rooms?"
Anyone interested
in sponsoring a room can contact Galey at (856) 678-9400, at the Salem
County Center for Autism.
Sponsorship can
come from multiple donors per room. To recognize sponsors, Galey will
post permanent signage on each room's door, thanking each sponsor.
"We want to
recognize sponsors with something permanent, not on a piece of paper
everybody forgets about," said Galey. "It's local, you're in town and
you can drive by or stop in, see your help, you can touch the things
you've helped create."
The new site is in
its design stage now, after which Galey said he'll go before the
township for approvals and permits. But once the design stage is
complete, he said the center's "Sponsor A Room" campaign will officially
begin.
"Right now, 14
rooms are up for sponsorship," Galey said.
The facility's
layout will include a Speech and Nutrition Room, a Behavioral Therapy
Room, Social Workers room, and even a Leggo Therapy Room.
It will make the
center one of three in the country using Leggo Therapy. Created by Dr.
Daniel LeGoff, a neuropsychologist with Y.A.L.E., it teaches social
interaction with teamwork. LeGoff will work part-time at the new site
diagnosing autism.
Families can wait
for diagnoses up to two years. LeGoff will do it in weeks.
Ginger Stanfa of
Cumberland County met the Galey family before the center existed, at an
autism support group that eventually inspired Galey to form the center.
Stanfa's
12-year-old autistic son, Kevin, went to school with the Galey's son,
Ross, after being moved to a Salem County school that served students
with autism.
"When you're told
your child is autistic, nobody tells you what you need to do - there's
nothing out there," said Stanfa. "We never really had any support
outside Kevin's school day until the center became a reality."
The experience has
been positive for Kevin.
"One day at the
center, he asked the Music Therapist to mimic him," she said. "It's
usually the other way around, and to see my son taking initiative with
someone who's not part of his daily routine. It's just incredible."
Once room sponsors
are found, that incredible feeling will be able to touch more families
dealing with autism. Galey said that the 100 children they're helping
each have parents, and siblings, that are also being helped.
"So you take a
family of five, multiply it by 90, and how many people are you actually
affecting?" asked Galey. "You can't ask for more than leaving a legacy
like that."
Starting with
eight kids and now at 90, plus a building donation, Galey said he can't
ask for more. He finally knows how it feels to be on the moon.
"We shot for the
moon, and we're here," he said. "It's just a beautiful thing."
