Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Community members gathered Tuesday, Aug. 11 to celebrate a ribbon-cutting for Joe’s Kids’ newly renovated gymnasium and fully accessible kitchen.
Joe’s Kids serves more than 720 kids annually, providing children with disabilities physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as dyslexia therapy and tutoring.
Rebecca Bazzoni, founder and CEO of Joe’s Kids, said a few words at the ceremony, thanking donors, supporters and those present at the event.
“The gymnasium is a place where we can do a lot,” said Bazzoni. “We can bring families together. We can offer activities beyond just therapy for our kids.”
The renovation was made possible in part through the community’s generosity. The K21 Health Foundation and United Way of Kosciusko and Whitley Counties, through the Statewide Capital Project Initiative, served as lead donors, providing a combined investment of $2.25 million that laid the groundwork for this $4.3 million project.
The renovated gymnasium has already hosted its first activity, a mini-sports camp provided by Agaitas, an organization that provides free summer camps for kids. The camp was a three-day, inclusive opportunity for children of all abilities.
“They taught every child at the level they were at, and we had children out there playing basketball, soccer from a wheelchair, others with walkers,” Bazzoni said. “All different abilities on the same court, building relationships.”
The activity was the third year Joe’s Kids has partnered with Agaitas, but this was the first year it was held in the new gymnasium.
“We want it to continue to be a space where we can provide different types of opportunities for our kids,” Bazzoni said.
A fully accessible kitchen was also finished during this phase of construction. The kitchen serves as a “training ground” for kids to help them, as stated by Bazzoni, “contribute in their own homes and be more independent,” as well as learn the “activities of daily living."
The kitchen features a laundry station, a Murphy bed, multiple-height countertops, pull-down shelves and appliances under the countertops, all of which will be used by occupational therapists to teach the kids.
The gymnasium and kitchen will continue to be used for therapy, and funds are being raised for further expansion, including a sensory gym along one wall. Joe’s Kids is looking to raise approximately $25,000 for the sensory wall and has already received a donation from First Source Foundation toward the project.
