Community Partner: Next Step Ministries When high school ends, students often wonder about their next step. Many young adults with special needs from Cherokee and surrounding counties find their answer at Next Step Ministries. This organization provides therapeutic daycare for people with developmental and acquired disabilities. Our goal is to meet families at their point of need, caring for their special needs family members in a therapeutic, Christian environment, says Lori Baker, founder of Next Step Ministries. We help special needs individuals improve their quality of life by providing safe, appropriate, and interactive programs. Next Step Ministries currently serves more than 75 clients annually, and about 45 clients daily. On any given day, youll find young people involved in activities like cooking, music therapy, riding the Next Step van to community outings, creating art, or making Hope Bones dog biscuits (which are distributed to local retailers). Many clients also learn valuable life and socialization skills. Engaged volunteers play a big part in helping and serving clients. In addition, interns from Kennesaw State University, Chattahoochee Tech, and Adler University learn from the clients, as they hone their skills in their respective areas of study. Each summer and during school holidays, Next Step offers popular day camps for school-aged young people. In addition, the ministry offers respite care on Saturdays and after school care on weekdays. These programs are designed for those who might not otherwise be able to participate in similar programs because of the extra care needed. Even though many clients are nonverbal, they still express their joy in attending. Peters mom reports that he loves his day at Next Step and often (even on weekends) is waiting by the door in the morning ready to go! A trip to the center reveals lots of smiling faces and friendships. So, whats next for Next Step? Growth has been a challenge. Twice in the last two years, additional space has been acquired to provide room for more clients. Next Step now has two campuses where services are provided. At this point, a capital campaign has been launched for a new building that would allow for growth over the next 10 years at the main facility in Woodstock. This is a critical step to continue to serve the growing number of clients who are moderately to severely developmentally delayed as well as those who are medically fragile. Because Next Step is a nonprofit organization, the need for donations and volunteers is great. In addition to the capital campaign, funds are always needed to support ongoing programs. Volunteers can serve in several ways including helping with clients, participating in Saturday respite programs, sharing a special talent, and maintaining the garden area. Please visit the website for more information and ways to get involved. 7709 Turner Road Woodstock, GA 30188770-592-1227NextStepMinistries.net
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