United Cerebral Palsy receives grant for campus expansion

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Arizona recently received a $250,000 grant from the state. It will upgrade services and opportunities for adults with physical and mental disabilities, specifically those who attend the organization’s adult daycare program.

This is the first major construction project the campus has undergone in 20 years. It focuses on the adult outdoor facilities at UCP of Central Arizona.

The renovation includes an adaptive basketball court, an artificial turf addition and the installation of an accessible putting green. It also has a greenhouse for a special needs gardening curriculum, wheelchair-accessible planters and a misting system for climate control. A new event space features a canopy cover, adaptive exercise equipment, new landscaping and updated sidewalks.

The money is also for culinary and art programs and supplies.

Gail Stelling, Vice President of Adult Program Operations, and Camille Ridley, Vice President of Marketing and Development, at UCP, joined Arizona Horizon to tell us more.

“We are the first healthcare non-profit in the state of Arizona, and we have a lifespan of services starting with the babies all the way up to our elders,” said Ridley.

“Our center has not been upgraded for over 20 years, since the building was built,” said Stelling. “This was big for us; technology’s changed in the last 20 years and innovation has changed, and so we took advantage of that.”

The $250,000 grant will be used not only to add on to the facility but also to help upgrade older technology.

“What we’re looking for is people who want to see a fresh space, have options and have their voices be heard,” said Stelling, who added that having choices for their members allows each one to have their voice heard. It gives them more individualism.

When trying to decide what to spend this grant on, UCP decided to go straight to their members and ask what would be most wanted. They also wanted this decision to improve the community and offer a community center to host events.

Some upcoming events include musicians, comedy shows and fundraisers. They will also make the space available to rent private events.

So far the response towards this grant has been incredibly positive. There has been an increase in media interview requests, and they are offering tours of the facilities. Over the last two weeks, the facility has been toured over two dozen times.