Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Black.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lauren. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began out of college as a Special Education teacher in the public schools. I had the opportunity to work with individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, assistive technology, behavior challenges, and individuals with multiple disabilities. In the schools, I eventually became an Assistant Principal and then the Principal of a campus designed for individuals with special needs who had difficulty on the large middle school and high school campuses of the district. I came to Reach Unlimited in 2004 as the Associate Executive Director with the primary responsibility of creating and developing the Learning Activity Center (day programming for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities). We opened the doors of the Learning Activity Center (LAC) in January of 2005 and were full to capacity by the end of the first year.
Today, the LAC provides services to more than 300 individuals (ages 12-75) and we have a waiting list of individuals ready to start. In March 2016, the Executive Director at Reach retired after 23 years of service to the agency and I was fortunate to move into that position.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like anything, there are triumphs and challenges along the way.
Challenges are generally related to fundraising enough money to cover the cost of services. While we are most thankful for the Medicaid funds most of our clients receive to access services, they are not enough to cover the true costs of delivering the service.
Being in Houston is such a blessing as the opportunities here are great but there are also hundreds of other worthy non-profit organizations competing for the same philanthropic dollars that Reach tries to acquire.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Reach Unlimited – what should we know?
Our company is in the people business. We support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they Live, Learn, and Earn while becoming contributing members of their communities. Our company is most proud of creating programs that give families piece of mind (assurance there will be people here to care for, love, and advocate for their loved ones when they are no longer here). One thing that makes us unique is our ability to maintain a “family” approach to business even though we have grown to be a large business with an annual budget near $10 million.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Perseverance and a strong passion to create and maintain lives of high quality for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11832 Mueller Cemetery Rd.,
Cypress, TX 77429 - Website: www.reachunlimited.org
- Phone: 281-469-8058
- Email: lblack@reachunlimited.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReachUnlimited/
Image Credit:
Photo #4 Jan Johnson
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