New Year. New Location. New Direction
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Temple Memorial Pediatric Center continues to provide needed therapy services to the children in the Texarkana area
by: LINDSEY MCMILLAN
photo by ALAMOND PHOTOGRAPHY
The dancers for Temple’s 2019 “Dancing With Our Stars” included: (front row) George and Alix Matteson, Layla Hazin and Amberly Stussy; (back row) Tray Taylor, Kayden Wells, Brandon Thurston, Cassie Crabbe, Tommy and Jana Hicks, Matt and Nicole Wilson, Aria Potter, Stephanie Barrett, Jim and Deb Smith, Nikki Hutson and Alex Webb.
Temple Memorial Rehabilitation Center is taking a new direction in 2020 with a new location and a new name. They are journeying into the new decade with a 67-year history of serving the Texarkana community. Originally named the Texarkana Society for Crippled Children, the facility opened in 1952 and was housed in the T.L.L. Temple mansion near downtown. They moved to their next location in 1979 at 1315 Walnut Street and was known as the Texarkana Easter Seals Society and then Easter Seals East Texas. Simply known as the Temple Center, it has been dedicated to helping children of all ages with a variety of therapeutic care. Newly renamed Temple Memorial Pediatric Center, it makes its new home at 1710 Moores Lane in a spacious facility with state-of-the-art equipment, play spaces and offices outfitted for use of the many therapists who help approximately 100 children daily.
The first Temple location opened in 1953 at the corner of 5th and Walnut Streets in Texarkana, Arkansas, and was originally named the Texarkana Society for Crippled Children.
Sandy Varner is Temple’s Chief Executive Officer and is so excited to show off their new space. The Walnut location was approximately 10,000 square feet, and the center had long outgrown the space. After preliminary plans of expanding there, the opportunity came along to buy a space with over 14,000 square feet and in a location more accessible to clients from all over the ArkLaTex. Sandy explains, “We have experienced a tremendous growth in the past five years, and we are thankful to be able to accommodate this need with the move to the new building. This new space should fit our needs for a long time and allow for additional growth and perhaps some new programs as well.” They officially moved in and began operating at their new location on December 9 and are well underway with settling in with more plans to renovate and add in the new year. New flooring, paint, restroom additions and installation of modern equipment enables the center to be 100% children-focused and is the only nonprofit facility of its kind in the Texarkana area. Offering physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a specialized autism spectrum disorder treatment, Temple Memorial Pediatric Center has grown to encompass twice the number of therapists they had just 10 years ago.
Now known as Temple Memorial Pediatric Center, the therapy center moved to its spacious new location at 1710 Moores Lane on December 9, 2019.
With 23 full-time staff members, the new location has plenty of designated space for reception, meeting, office and therapy space as well as ample storage. Part of the outside perimeter of the building will be designated for playground equipment, picnic tables, a koi pond and a bicycle/walking path. Inside, the areas are a maze of color and activity, ranging from various mini playhouses in a cityscape (aka Temple Town) setting; this includes a cafe, hospital, mechanic garage, grocery and a bank. An interactive treehouse and countryside barn exists on the opposite side and both areas are designed for interactive therapy and play with specialized padded flooring. These spaces are sponsored by various businesses and individuals, and other areas exist such as the toddler soft play room, an infant feeding room, and a sensory treatment room. In addition, a sensory integration gym with the same soft flooring accommodates six swings, a climbing wall and two ziplines. Colorful sensory motor boards adorn the walls so every space of the center is usable for various treatment. In addition, there is an older child physical therapy room, a craft station and computer and technological equipment such as a Visipitch machine for use in speech therapy. The ABA Treatment area serves as a multi-functional space for specific autism therapy which includes a low stimulation room, a private bathroom and observation areas for parent training.
Thanks to the generosity of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, as well as a Department of Health & Human Services grant, the new facility renovations and services are available to children of all ages. The center is blessed with many generous local donors and benefactors enabling much more than they could have ever imagined possible. Sandy adds, “God paved our way. The community’s response to our needs has been phenomenal over the past 67 years. Through the grace of God and the vision of our Board of Directors and our donors, we are excited to be able to provide services to the children of the Texarkana area in such a beautiful, state-of-the-art therapy center.”
Funding for the center continues into the new year as well. Temple’s annual fundraiser, the Phantom Ball, is an event in January that is eagerly anticipated each year. For the past three years, the event has been renamed “Dancing with our Stars,” and this year features seven couples in competition with various dance routines. The cocktail event will be held on January 25 at 6 p.m. at Northridge Country Club. Valet parking will be available and various admission prices are available so visit www.templememorialpediatric.com or call 903-794-2705 for information and tickets. Dinner, dessert buffet, silent auction and voting for your favorite dancer are all on tap for a fun event benefitting TMPC. All donations are tax-deductible, and all proceeds remain for local use.
Other fundraising events for the center involve a casino night and drawdown, as well as a spring golf tournament. Gina Parish, Temple’s Community/Marketing & Event Coordinator is excited about this year’s Ball which will usher in a new decade for the center so well-known in the community. “It’s been amazing: the support, and dedication that our donors and the community have shown to Temple this year. Their support and dedication has made it possible for Temple to expand into a new facility where we can produce even greater results for our clients.” Gina also reports that the center hopes to host an open house so the public can come admire the new facility and what they have to offer. What an exciting time for Temple Memorial Pediatric Center and along with their legendary history of providing services to Texarkana children and families, they encourage all to “come along and watch us grow!”