BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — It took years of work, and more years of patience are ahead, but Gatesway Foundation secured $7 million for their multi-phase capital improvement project.
It's called 'Setting Standards,' and the standard they're addressing is their housing.
The Broken Arrow campus is home to up to 64 people with intellectual disabilities at any given time. But much of the 40-acre property hasn't been updated since it opened in decades
“We raised a lot of it through grants and private donations and funders," said Kristina Watkins, Gatesway's Communications and Marketing Officer. "We partnered with a lot of organizations in the community who are behind this process of what we’re doing to build these new homes, because these friends deserve these quality homes that we’re constructing. These buildings have existed since the 60s and 70s... It’s time that they get some new homes that they deserve"
They will have a private bedroom, private bedroom, and create a much deserved safe space, Watkins said, for the friends who live on campus.
There are 53 friends who currently call Gatesway home, including Saundra Downey.
She's been here four years, and adores the friends and all of the skills she's learned since moving in.
“I just love it here, its like the best ever place to be for me," said Downey. "My grandma, Debby, she put me here for a reason. Not to punish me or anything, but to help me grow. And I’ve grown a lot since I’ve been here.”
She's in one of the cottages, that houses seven other girls.
While the one she lives in got a face lift in 2005, it's seen better days.
2 News asked Downey if the outdated space makes things harder for her and her housemates?
“Yeah, because it just it makes me feel like I’m in an institution instead of a… because this is a really good place to be, it just need renovated,” she said.
The staff here agrees.
Some of the homes are currently home to 16 residents, and haven't been renovated in years.
Over the next three to four years, those funds will go towards creating four new homes, with room for eight residents.
“The concept of why we’re building the way were building is that it’s individualize homes so everybody has their own personal space, their own individual bedroom, bathroom... that is individualized to them, so that it’s their safe space that they have to go to because they deserve nothing less,” said Watkins.
As the need for places like Gatesway has grown, the staff wants to ensure every person who relies on their resources has the very best services.
“This is such a vulnerable, underserved population, and disability services that are provided for to this population are so minimal, that the least we can do is build quality housing for these wonderful, wonderful people that we work for.”
The first phase is completing a grand patio, so friends can gather outside together.
Then, the four new homes will get constructed. It will take some time though, with a completion timeline over the next three to five years.
Gatesway staff will use their other properties scattered across the community as a model, as they build their new homes on campus.
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