Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 128, Number 43, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 27 October 2005 — Page 6

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Advance News • Thursday. October 27, 2005

Through Our Eyes works to raise money

By Anthony Godson Editor Caring for children is an admirable job, but not really a profitable one. No one knows that better than Loren Hartman. "Working with children is not a profitable job, but we don't do it for profits," he said. Hartman is the owner and physical therapist at Union Center Therapy, a facility which works with children suffering anything from autism to attention deficit disorder. The facility currently takes in children from the counties of. Elkhart, Marshall, Kosciusko, Noble, LaGrange and St. Joseph. "It's central to all the areas, so the location here is great," he said from the building which sits at the corner of County Roads 11 and 48 in Nappanee. The building housed Union School until it was sold to a church in 1995, It was then used by the church for five years before sitting empty for a period •of time. It was then that Hartman left his job as a physical therapist in Elkhart so he could work with children the way he felt they should be treated. "I started this because I wanted to continue to see children the way that I wanted to," he said. "I went on my own, and we don't turn anyone away." In November 2003, Union Center Therapy opened its doors, taking in 70 children. Today, 131 children visit the center to receive therapy, be it physical, occupational or aquatic. _ "We get children through physicians, word of mouth or from schools," Hartman said. "There is no other place like this in the area." When Hartman set out on his own, he knew it wouldn't be

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easy. When he, and his wife Rachel, purchased the 13,000-square foot building, which sits on eight acres of land, it was a risky venture. "We were nervous," he said. "When we first bought it, we had to live here for a while." The Hartmans, which includes three children, eventually found a Nappanee home, but that hasn't made maintaining the building all that easy. "Winter utilities here are about $4,500 a month," he said. "It's expensive. With the space and age of this place, it's hard to maintain." Because of that, the non-prof-it organization, Through Our Eyes, Inc. is working to purchase the building from Hartman. By owning the building, the group would have a much easier time of making sure the facility continues to exist well into the future. "With a board of people owning the building, it's easier to ensure that it will exist into the future," Hartman said. "With an individual owning it, you never know," President of the Through Our Eyes, Inc. Board of Directors is Ron Dean, who agrees with Hartman's sentiments. "We want the legacy to go on forever," Dean said. Because Through Our Eyes, Inc. is a non-profit group, it is working to pay Hartman exactly what he paid for the building in November 2003. Hartman also vyants it to be clear that he isn't benefiting from the nonprofit group, but wants to see the group purchase the building to secure the center will exist far into the future. "This building has too much cost for one person over a period of time," Hartman said. "Our

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goal is to keep it open. Through Our Eyes kind of wants to make this like a Shriners Hospital for Michiana." If Through Our Eyes, Inc. is able to purchase the building, which Dean estimates could take five years, the center would then serve children with no cost to parents. "We won't turn away anyone, insurance or not," Dean commented. Currently, Hartman is able to keep the facility running through public funding, such as Medicaid. He says that the cost to parents is "very affordable," with the money going toward the utility bills, the 15 full and part-time employees and general up-keep at the building. While he's been able to keep the facility going so far, there have been some hiccups. "We haven't had money at times," he said. Hartman would also like to do some cosmetic changes to the building, as well as perhaps putting a playground on the eight acres, but he simply can't do that on his own. "It gets cold in here," Hartman said. "As much as I run the furnace even. I'd also like to get some systems updated, because we are running a huge furnace right now." That's where Through Our Eyes, Inc. comes into play. If the non-profit organization is able to purchase the facility, a physical therapist, such as Hartman, could then pay rent on space, a speech therapist could rent space, as could others. Renovations to improve the facility could then be made. With rental fees and donations, Through Our Eyes could ensure the facility would be around long into the future. "Our main emphasis is on

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Elementaries Thursday, Oct. 27 B'fast: Cereal/Muffin. Lunch: Soft Taco; Salad; Cheese Cup; (NES-Mixed Vegetables, Waky-Finger Jell-O); Mandarin Oranges or Mixed Fruit. (Woodview: Pizza Burger; Peas; Mandarin Oranges or Grapes.) Friday, Oct. 28 Fall Break No School Monday, Oct. 31 B'fast: Cheese Omelet. Lunch: Chicken Fries; Roll; Peas and Carrots; Peaches or Juice. Tuesday, Nov. 1 B'fast: Waffles. Lunch: Sausage Pizza; California Blend; Orange; Pine-apple. Wednesday, Nov. 2 B'fast: Cinnamon Toast. Lunch: Smokey Links; Macaroni and Cheese; Com; Jell-O; Pears. Middle School Thursday, Oct. 27 B'fast: Sausage Gravy with Biscuit. Choose 1: Chicken Quesadilla; Roast Beef Sandwich; Chef Salad. Choose 2: Tossed Salad; Green

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/ANTHONY GADSON Physical Therapist Assistant Caleb Fields and Student PTA Kathleen Aguilar have a photo taken with 4-year old Trevor Haab of Syracuse.

children," Dean said. To help raise funds, Through Our Eyes, Inc. accepts donations and also hold fundraisers, such as the 2nd Annual Through Our Eyes Concert on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at the First Brethren Church of God in Nappanee. • At the hour-and-a-half concert, an individual sings a song with a choir of 20 children from the Union Center Therapy. Last year's concert went off pretty well. "There wasn't a dry eye in the place," Hartman said. "The people really had heart felt concern for the children.

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Dean commented 1 that the concert went very well for its first time. "It was an awesome program," he said. "It went absolutely great for the very first time." Dean commented that its not only monetary donations which help the center. "Time is always great," he said. "If people can donate a couple hours, there's lots of things to do at a 13,000-square foot building." Hartman also commented that the center accepts toys and candy, which is then given to

Beans; Pineapple; Pears; Fresh Fruit. Friday, Oct. 28 Fall Break No School Monday, Oct. 31 B'fast: Sausage Pizza Bagel. Choose 1: Beef Stew with Biscuit; BBQ Rib Sandwich; Salad Bar. Choose 2: Tossed Salad; Celery with Peanut Butter Cup; Applesauce; Mixed Fruit; Fresh Fruit. Tuesday, Nov. 1 Choose 1: Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Dinner Roll; Chicken Patty Sandwich; Salad Bar. Choose 2: Tossed Salad; Green Beans; Peaches; Lemon Dessert; Fresh Fruit. Wednesday, Nov. 2 Choose 1: Cheese Lasagna with Breadstick; Tenderloin Sandwich; Salad Bar. Choose 2: Tossed Salad; Peas; Mandarin Oranges; Tropical Fruit; Fresh Fruit.. High School Thursday, Oct. 27 Choose 1: French Toast Sticks with Smokies; Hamburger Boats; Cold Sub; Salad Bar; Yogurt. Choose 2: Tri-taters; Tossed Salad; Pineapple; Cottage Cheese; Mixed Fruit; Fresh Fruit. Friday, Oct. 28 Fall Break No School

children who accomplish goals. After leaving a job to work with kids the way he wanted to, Hartman doesn't regret a thing. "Just the other day, a kid who's always needed a walker, took 10 steps on his own," Hartman said. "It's also nice to see an autistic child change, and interact with their environment. There's a lot of stories." Until Through Our Eyes, Inc. is able to raise the funds to purchase the building, Hartman , will continue to work to keep Union Center Therapy going. "As long as God keeps giving us checks," he said.

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