Following are stories about some of the agencies that United Way of Weakley County funds.

<B>Infant Stimulation Program/UTM</B>

Developmentally delayed children should be provided the opportunity to realize their potentials at the earliest age possible.

This is one of two goals set by the Infant Stimulation Program at UTM along with providing ideas for growth within the frameworks of these children’s families. The program serves children from ages birth to 3 years old who have a 20 percent delay of chronological age in one or more areas of development.

“We want children to have the chance to develop all the skills possible,” said Sharon Wenz, the director of Child and Family Grant Programs. “A lot of learning happens between birth and 3, and we help maximize learning in that period of time.”

Infant Stimulation serves six counties, which are Benton, Carroll, Henry, Lake, Obion and Weakley. The program’s teachers visit the children in their homes for at least one hour per week.

The program also has two inclusion groups that meet in Martin, giving a chance for children who are both delayed and typically developing to interact.

With all of the travel done by the administrators of the program, though, it can become quite expensive. Wenz estimates that the annual costs per child are about $3,500.

The program is contracted through the State Department of Education and the Division of Mental Retardation to serve 57 children in the area. Eligible children for the program can range between 55 and 75, however, so they must often rely on outside funding from United Way and other local charities.

“We’re only contracted to help 57 children, so we really need those additional funds that the United Way and others provide,” said Wenz.

For more information on Infant Stimulation, contact Rene Bard at 587-7113 or Sharon Wenz at 587-7115, or if you would like to make a donation of any kind to help the program, contact the Weakley County United Way.

<I>– By Dustin Stovall, a senior Communications major from Lexington.</I>

<B>Developmental Disabilities Clinic</B>

The Developmental Disabilities Clinic, along with the United Way, the Department of Mental Health and Retardation and several volunteers, provides dental care to those who are developmentally disabled and certified as eligible individuals from West Tennessee. The program serves thousands each year and handles most dental procedures. The Developmental Disabilities Clinic receives some private contributions and has volunteer dentists on staff as well.

The clinic’s doors opened in Jackson with only four dentists and the staff has grown to 20. The clinic has one full-time and one part-time employee, and the other employees are volunteers. They receive referrals from doctors, dentists, health departments, and other agencies that serve the developmentally disabled.

Diane Britt, public relations director, said, “The Developmental Disabilities Clinic has been open for 25 years and provides dental care to those who could not otherwise find treatment in the private sector thanks to the volunteers.”

<I>– By Mitchell Phy, a senior Communications major from Dickson</I>

<B>Office on Aging</B>

The United Way goal of bringing communities together is apparent in the efforts to provide funding for the Weakley County Office on Aging.

The Office provides services and various opportunities to members of the community who are 60 or older. The goal is to help these people remain involved and feel independent in the later years of life. The office also provides homemaker services and Meals on Wheels.

Suzann Kroll, a representative of the Office on Aging, has experienced first hand the importance of the United Way funds. “Without the help of the United Way, we would not be able to offer many of the programs we have now. One such program is the homemaker program. This program allows professionals to go into the home, access various needs, and also help with some light housekeeping.”

Individuals who wish to gain help from the Office on Aging have several options. The Office on Aging has contact points at senior citizen centers in Dresden, Gleason, Greenfield, Martin and Sharon. For direct assistance, call the Office on Aging headquarters in Dresden at 364-3581. Individuals seeking help must qualify through an application process . <I>– By Lee Lawrence, a senior Communications major from Gleason</I>

<B>PEACH Project</B>

This year, through designations rather than community investment, United Way is helping the PEACH (Parent Education and Children’s Health) project to provide special parenting programs in Weakley County.

The program is designed to help parents face the many challenges of raising children and is associated with the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at UTM.

The goal of PEACH is to inform parents of the options available to maintain their children’s well-being. This goal is met by designing individual programs on topics raised by parents, and the programs are offered at no charge. The PEACH program hopes that child abuse will be prevented as a result of the offered counseling sessions.

The United Way has helped to increase the awareness of the PEACH project as well as its mission in Weakley County by setting up booths at health fairs, interacting with private donors to the fund, and setting up special events at local businesses.

If you have any questions or need help with a parenting situation, contact the PEACH office at 587-7034 or 587-7114.

<I>– By Lee Lawrence, a senior Communications major from Gleason</I>