Spencer, Iowa — The center named after the little Orange City girl who lost her life in the care of her day care provider — has received a grant.
Seasons Center for Behavioral Health has received a $25,000 grant from Variety, the Children’s Charity to support Autumn’s Center. Seasons is a non-profit organization and has been providing a broad range of psychiatric and behavioral health services to people and communities in Northwest Iowa since 1959.
Autumn’s Center was named in honor and memory of Autumn Elgersma, of Orange City, who died in 2013 after being hospitalized due to abuse she endured while in the care of her babysitter. Autumn was three years old when she died.
Seasons says the Variety grant will be used for a large infrastructure renovation to create Autumn’s Center, a state-of-the art regional children’s center. Autumn’s Center, the first of its kind regional children’s center, will house rooms and offices designated to care for children’s behavioral health, including areas for outpatient therapy, psychological testing, psychiatric services, behavioral health intervention services, substance abuse counseling, parent education, and care coordination services. Arrival, wait, way finding, and offices will offer a child friendly, culturally-sensitive, and healing environment throughout the building.
“Seasons is thrilled to receive the Variety grant funding and is anxious to move forward with renovations and the expansion of Autumn’s Center thanks to this gift and the gifts of many others,” says Kim Scorza, Executive Director.
“Autumn’s Center will be the only one of its kind in northwest Iowa, offering specialty services to children who have been abused in some way, or for children who need help with developmental conditions like autism, social issues like bullying, as well as grief and loss, divorce, or other sorts of problems impacting their lives,” says Steve Grell, Seasons Advisory Board Chairperson. “We truly appreciate this donation by Variety-the Children’s Center Charity.”
Variety — the Children’s Charity is dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged, at-risk and special needs children throughout Iowa. Grant funding is provided to programs and initiatives the directly impact the well being of children. For more information on Variety grants and programs please visit varietyiowa.com. For more information on Seasons’ services, please visit our website at: www.seasonscenter.org and Facebook page www.facebook.com/SeasonsCenterForBehavioralHealth.
