ENERGY JOURNEY By Becky Kalajian
‘A wonderful gift’ Penrickton Center for Blind Children wins energy efficiency makeover from DTE. South of Detroit near the airport, there is a small child care center that for a long time has been a haven for children who are blind or visually impaired, with other disabilities as well. Penrickton Center for Blind Children in Taylor was established in 1952 by three families — Penman, Ricker and Wigginton — who combined their names and resources and garnered their neighbors’ help to build and support it. Through the years, the building has undergone various expansions, but the center’s locally driven support and private, nonprofit status mean upgrades must be done conscientiously. “We are funded solely from people in our community, not the government or United Way,” says Janet Ames, the center’s longtime community relations coordinator. The center has 42 employees to care for 22 children who attend an on-site day care program 20
or an up-to-five-day residential program. The center partners with families to help them understand their child’s disabilities and also to teach them advocacy skills for the many medical and educational experiences their child will have down the road. These partnerships have had lasting effects on the center’s longevity. “Even though … we have had kids that come and go in our program, the families remain very involved with everything that we do,” says Ames, who is marking her 39th year with Penrickton.
Perfect timing Balancing the needs of 22 children ranging in age from 1 to 12 with the realities of a roughly 70-year-old structure came to a head this past fall. Two of the center’s 22-year-old HVAC systems failed within a week of each other, ENERGY JOURNEY, continued on page 22