Everyone is invited to a party celebrating the reopening of the Achievement Center of Texas Thursday, Sept. 21, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. The nonprofit’s new location is 306 North Barnes Drive in Garland. The open house will include a ribbon cutting, raffles, games, tours, food and more.
ACT struggled during the pandemic because many of the students are medically fragile and couldn’t be in group settings. Then, after the pandemic, many of the students didn’t return for various reasons.
It was a difficult time for the school, and they closed for a year. The state of Texas changed guidelines and ratios during this time. And because there were less students, the center was in a larger building than necessary.
“We needed that time of closing as a “reboot,” Director of Development Heather Bryant said. “That gave us a chance over the last year to find a location that better accommodated our needs. Also, it gave us a chance to figure out how to make the new ratios and guidelines work.”
Now that the center is in a smaller building, the ultimate plan is to open a couple more in surrounding unserved areas when this first one reaches capacity.
All the clients who are coming back to the new location are former students, and their parents are thrilled that ACT is reopening. Some of them didn’t take their students to new facilities. They decided to stay home with their kids because they knew they wouldn’t find the kind of center they were hoping for.
“Everybody that is coming back has been absolutely thrilled that we are reopening,” Bryant said. “We’ve had nothing but positive feedback from the parents and the community.”
They were the only facility of this kind and size in Garland. Even though there were other smaller ones and a couple of home-based centers, none of them provided all the same services and activities that ACT offered. They will continue most of the activities they have provided before and add some new ones.
“We will be offering life skills training like cooking, cleaning, making beds and laundry. But the primary focus of the new program is going out in the community,” said Executive Director Andrew Mlcak. “At least 50% of the kids’ time will be spent in the community.”
They will go to parks and recreation centers, to stores, out to eat and more — activities that will provide an opportunity to practice paying for purchases and ordering from menus. The students will also learn how to make a list and then shop for the items.
In addition, there is a vending machine company near the center and the students will go help sort items to be put into the vending machines. They will be volunteer at Good Samaritans of Garland as well as at the Rock, Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army and other nonprofits.
The students will also go out and buy items for the vending machines at ACT and stock them, and they will shop at Sam’s and the farmers market for snacks for the center.
The students were doing some of these types of activities before, but their time outside of the center will increase.
“We are kind of ahead of the game; we kind of paved the way. There are several organizations that started volunteering in the community after we did,” Mlcak said. “I think they saw what we were doing and saw that it was really good for the kids, and it’s free. It also has them giving back, and it’s productive. It’s giving them a purpose. And a lot of these students have only ever wanted is to have a purpose. Volunteering fills that need, and it makes them happy.”
“We’re still here serving the same population, just doing it in a different location. ACT was never about a building. It’s always been about the people that we serve. No matter where we are,” Bryant said.
Some of ACT’s needs include: Money for a van to transport students, which would be a great tax write-off); books; art supplies of all kinds; and magazines.
Photos by Heather Bryant
In addition, any small-business owners that could have the students in for tours would be appreciated, as well as volunteers to teach things like yoga, knitting, crocheting, etc. or to make music with the kids.
Mlcak had great things to say about Marilynne Serie, who served as executive director before him.
“ACT has been around for 45 years, and she ran it for 30 years. She grew it from being one room operation in a church to a recreation center then helped raise over a $1 million to build the facility on North Shiloh Road,” Mlcak said.
He was a teacher for three years then he worked in the office with Serie. He commented that she taught him everything he knows. Mlcak referred to Serie as the “force behind ACT.”
“Had all this [closure and move] happened a different way, I don’t think I would have been as confident as I was to reopen without the teachings from her,” Mlcak said. “She still offers me that when I need it.”
He also had great things to say about Garland.
“A lot of people do not realize how charitable Garland is and how many charitable organizations there are in Garland,” he said. “It really is a community that works together to give back and help each other. I think that’s one of the strongest things about Garland,” he said.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the Special Arts Festival – March 22. Location TBA.
Please consider donating to ACT for North Texas Giving Day – @ actgivingday.org
Follow them on Facebook and Instagram and share their posts to help them spread the word about their reopening.