Meyer Center for Special Children celebrates 70 years of serving the Upstate’s children with disabilities
March 4, 2024
The Meyer Center for Special Children this year celebrates 70 years of serving the Upstate’s children with disabilities. During a special event held at the Meyer Center to commemorate the remarkable achievement, executive director Meta Bowers Hendricks unveiled an educational and creative timeline installation created by Emanate Brands and Environments. Additionally, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette and Greenville City Council Member John DeWorken each presented a signed proclamation declaring March 1, 2024, as “Meyer Center Day.” The timeline is showcased in the nonprofit’s lobby area and the city and state proclamations served to aid awareness of the Meyer Center and the immeasurable impact it has made on the lives of special needs children and their families in the community. They program also featured remarks about the Meyer Center’s past, present, and future from Hendricks, Chairman Bruce Bannister, and Meyer Center Board President Dave Gable. House Ways and Means Chairman Bannister additionally presented the Meyer Center with a House Resolution honoring the school’s service to the state.
“We are so excited to celebrate this monumental milestone in the Meyer Center’s history and extremely thankful for the community’s steadfast support over the past seven decades. Part of the 70th celebration is to recognize our long and vibrant history, re-engage past stakeholders, and engage new stakeholders that are passionate about our mission and wish to join us as we forge ahead into the next chapter of the Meyer Center,” Hendricks said.
Dr. Leslie Meyer founded the Meyer Center in 1954 with a belief that every child, regardless of disabilities, could benefit from quality education and therapy services. Seventy years later, the Meyer Center remains committed to Dr. Meyer’s vision, serving children with disabilities from all economic and demographic backgrounds who reside in Upstate South Carolina. Its unique model combines early childhood education, school-based therapies, and nursing services all under one roof – provided at a young age, this can change the trajectory of a child’s life and result in more opportunities for them to be included in the community, secure gainful employment, and enjoy long-term independence.
In honor of the 70th anniversary and to fuel the nonprofit’s plans to meet growing community needs and prepare for the next 70 years, the organization will launch an annual giving goal of $700,000. This goal contributes to the $2 million in private funds needed to operate annually.
“Dr. Meyer was a visionary – a forward thinker ahead of his time, and this year we honor his legacy and the great work that has been done in our 70 years,” Hendricks continued. “There is a strong need in our community for special education and intensive therapy – every year we have a wait list of between 50 and 80 students, and we are eager to serve them. But we need the funds to be able to simultaneously sustain and expand services.”
Anyone wishing to participate in this celebratory annual giving campaign can do so by visiting www.meyercenter.org/donate. Or, to make a longer-term impact, one can join the 1954 Club and contribute a minimum of $19.54 per month to help sustain Meyer Center operations into the future.
Monica Gibson, the Meyer Center’s director of development, emphasized the importance of private funding to the Meyer Center’s operations. “40% of our $4.8 million budget comes from private donors through individual gifts and special events,” she said. “Donations to this year’s annual campaign will help us reach our short- and long-term goals such as offering an after-school program and expanding our space. We encourage all who are interested in learning more to check out our website, schedule a tour, get involved in our upcoming events, and reach out to speak with us about making a lasting impact.”
In addition to donating and contributing to the annual campaign, enrich the lives of children with disabilities through advocacy, volunteerism, and fundraising by becoming a member of Impact!, a group of like-minded community members that support the Meyer Center through fundraising, social events, and volunteer opportunities. Other ways to engage and help continue the vision of Dr. Meyer include planning a visit to tour the school and meet the children, volunteering at Meyer Center, hosting a fundraiser, and organizing a supply drive. Those interested in these opportunities should email Alyssa Bonner at [email protected].
Meyer Center is located at 1132 Rutherford Road in Greenville, SC. To learn more about the Meyer Center’s mission, programs, and events visit www.meyercenter.org and follow @meyercenter.
About the Meyer Center for Special Children
Seventy years ago, Dr. Leslie Meyer founded the Meyer Center with a belief that every child, regardless of disabilities, could benefit from quality education and therapy services. Dr. Meyer’s vision carries through today, where students receive life-changing treatment through a curriculum focusing on social and emotional learning, daily living skills, music, dance, movement, group exercise and field trips – improving their quality of life, and their families’ quality of life. A South Carolina Public Charter School for students ages three and up, the Meyer Center is the only place in Upstate SC where young children with disabilities can receive all their special education and intensive therapies under one roof, allowing parents the flexibility to work or care for other family members. A place where children often make their first friends, learn to feed themselves and tie their own shoes, the Meyer Center celebrates the impact – both measurable and immeasurable – of 70 years of service to our state’s children with disabilities.
