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March 28, 2024 1:50 am
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New Use Found For Old Overton Building

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

A group of volunteers poses in front of the Overton Bishop’s Storehouse building before a cleanup project. Aspire has received permission to use the old building as a temporary center for adult special needs residents in the community. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/The Progress

An old building near downtown Overton is being retooled and updated for a new use.

The Overton Bishop’s Storehouse building, located at 161 W. Virginia Ave. just behind the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers building, is becoming the home of a new non-profit which will aim to provide direct services to adults with developmental delays and their families.

On Saturday, Dec. 4, a group of volunteers showed up at 7 am to do a cleanup project at the building to get it ready for a renovation toward becoming the “cottage of support” for the Aspire Center.

Aspire is being organized as a non-profit organization by a group of local special education teachers, school social workers, parents and community members. The goal is to provide respite care, vocational training and resource support to special needs adults and their families.

Aspire Executive Board President Nancy Postma, who has worked many years teaching Special Education in local schools, said that the group had identified a need for special needs students who reach the age of 22 and graduate out of public school programs.
“There has really been nothing more for them in the community, in terms of resources and support, beyond the age of 22,” Postma said. “That is the hole that we are looking to fill with Aspire.”

Postma said that a preliminary needs assessment in the community has identified more than 60 families that would benefit from the service.
“So there is definitely a need out there,” she said. “These adults need something to do to continue their education and development. And their families need support and help.”

Once it is is fully up and running, a typical day at the Aspire center might mirror a traditional school day. From 9 am to 3 pm. a variety of daytime activities would be provided including appropriate vocational training, life skills, recreational engagement and more.

Aspire board member Greg Winzenried, a local school psychologist, said that a variety of different offerings have been envisioned at the center as it develops and grows.

“We have talked about raised garden beds, hydroponics, crafting centers, outdoor activity structures for therapy in building gross motor skills and more,” he said. “There are a lot of possibilities and a lot of them could be opportunities for the participants to give back to the community in small ways.”

Winzenreid said that Aspire hopes to partner with other existing organizations both local and regional. There is already a strong relationship with the local parent support group REACH. And there would be opportunity for cross-support with local public school special ed programs as well, he said.

“We also hope to partner with other existing organizations like Opportunity Village, Special Olympics, Crimson Counseling, Danville and Rural Regional Services,” Winzenried said. “We have been in contact with Marilyn Kirkpatrick who has expressed support for our cause. And we welcome participation and volunteers from the Moapa Valley community as well.”

But before the vision becomes a reality there is still a lot to do, Winzenried said. The group plans to renovate the old Bishop Storehouse Building to be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilies Act. This would also open the space for more of a classroom setting for students.

“This building has been here since the 1930s or 40s,” Winzenried said. “It was built with the purpose of sharing resources with those in need in the community. It has served various roles over the decades. And we appreciate being able to use it as, at least, a temporary home for Aspire.”

“There is still a lot of work to do, but we obviously have a lot of good help to start,” Winzenried said pointing to the group of about a half dozen volunteers who showed up to help on Saturday morning.
Other Aspire board members include Kyra Abbott, secretary; Theresa Paystrup, Treasurer; Erika Whitmore, Director; Byron Mills, Director; MaryLee Winzenried, Constultant; and Larry Moses, Consultant.

Aspire has made a survey available online for local families interested in possibly receiving support from the center. That survey may be accessed by scanning the QR code below with a smart phone.

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4 thoughts on “New Use Found For Old Overton Building”

  1. You might also look into Transition Services Inc as a role mold. The website is tsilasvegas.org. They have a pay by the hour program. Until pandemic they had a store in Las Vegas [which you start in your facility] to sell their crafts and products.

    My Downs Daughter who graduated Moapa Valley High School 2002, has worked there since 2013. It is a really nice place with an assortment of activities and projects going on. She really looks forward to going to work and meet her friends, the independence, and overall respect for herself, and others.

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