A place for everyone: several years ago Alternatives Unlimited, Inc., had a big problem--a 32,369-square-foot problem to be exact.The provider of employment, housing, and day habilitation services for people with psychiatric and. developmental disabilities in central Massachusetts couldn't find a buyer for an old mill complex it had used as a sheltered workshop since the 1970s. In 2001, the organization moved its employment programs into storefront locations in the community and implemented public-outreach programs at these career centers. For example, Alternatives created an art gallery at its Uxbridge location. By inviting the community in, Alternatives increased public understanding of and interest in its mission and created more opportunities for social integration for the people it serves. In fact, employers began approaching Alternatives with job opportunities for its clients. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] So the organization dared to dream big and wondered if it could replicate the concept on a much larger scale by turning the mill (built in 1826) and several other historic buildings into a place everyone could enjoy and where people with disabilities could have opportunities to further integrate into the community. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Five years after the planning began, last May Alternatives held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Whitin Mill complex, an environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] arts center that now houses: * Alternatives' headquarters * Three two-bedroom apartments for people with psychiatric and developmental disabilities * An employment program * A theater and artisan spaces * Museum and educational spaces * Space for a 60- to 70-seat restaurant The campus's name pays homage to the Whitin family and the industrial companies they operated at the mill and in the area through the mid-20th century. With the project Alternatives believes it is helping to redefine the role of human services providers in their communities. "We are creating a new paradigm New Paradigm In the investing world, a totally new way of doing things that has a huge effect on business. Notes: The word "paradigm" is defined as a pattern or model, and it has been used in science to refer to a theoretical framework. in human services that emphasizes community building, that generates reciprocity reciprocity In international trade, the granting of mutual concessions on tariffs, quotas, or other commercial restrictions. Reciprocity implies that these concessions are neither intended nor expected to be generalized to other countries with which the contracting parties , and converts real estate capital, the mill, into what [Harvard professor] Robert Putnam Robert David Putnam (born 1941 in Rochester, New York) is a political scientist and professor at Harvard University. Putnam developed the influential two-level game theory that assumes international agreements will only be successfully brokered if they also result in domestic calls 'social capital' for the people we serve but also for the larger community," explains Alternatives Executive Director Dennis H. Rice, who views the mill complex as "an inclusive community treasure for the whole region to enjoy." Building support With such a bold concept, though, did come concern that Alternatives would drift away Verb 1. drift away - lose personal contact over time; "The two women, who had been roommates in college, drifted apart after they got married" drift apart from its core mission. Former board member Scott Rossiter wasn't sold on the project right away. "I just thought, 'Look, you guys are going to take your eye off the ball here. You have a mission of serving people. All of a sudden you're going to become real estate developers, and that's not a good thing,'" he recalls. "It took mea while to figure out they were trying to do so much more with this project than just be a real estate developer." In making the case to the community, Alternatives highlighted the following reasons for the Whitin Mill project: * To create multiple opportunities for the people it serves to develop community connections * To position Alternatives as an economic driver in the region, stimulating job creation, tourism, and local investment * To be environmentally responsible * To create a community "crossroads" * To preserve the area's history * To demonstrate its commitment to the community Rossiter eventually became one of the project's biggest supporters, serving as the volunteer chair of its capital campaign. At small house parties to raise funds, Alternatives board member and service user Peg George shared her recovery story to encourage support. The $9.8 million project also was funded through loans, grants, and other sources (See "The financial nuts and bolts nuts and bolts pl.n. Slang The basic working components or practical aspects: "[proposing] of renovating the mill" on page 24 for more details). In addition, Alternatives has raised about $100,000 by selling engraved en·grave tr.v. en·graved, en·grav·ing, en·graves 1. To carve, cut, or etch into a material: engraved the champion's name on the trophy. 2. pavers placed in the complex's 5,000-square-foot plaza/outdoor labyrinth labyrinth (lăb`ərĭnth), intricate building of chambers and passages, often constructed so as to perplex and confuse a person inside. , where Alternatives plans on hosting farmers' markets and theatrical presentations this summer. The pavers were donated to Alternatives, and such in-kind giving was important, too. "That plaza would have been a concrete plaza if somebody hadn't come through with in-kind support," Rossiter acknowledges. Arts focus Spaces for the arts are a major component of the Whitin Mill complex, which includes art galleries, studios, a forge (built in 1782 and reconstructed in 1875) for glassblowing and blacksmithing, and the GB and Lexi Singh Performance Center, a 200-seat theater named after significant donors. In the past year Alternatives has hosted many events including craft fairs, concerts, exhibits of watercolor paintings of local mills and handcrafted bead bead Small object, usually pierced for stringing. It may be made of virtually any material—wood, shell, bone, seed, nut, metal, stone, glass, or plastic—and is worn or affixed to another object for decorative or, in some cultures, magical purposes. jewelry jewelry, personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion. The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. , and performances of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire may refer to:
Being involved in the arts helps Alternatives introduce the public to its mission and the people it serves notes Rice, who sees themill as part of the organization's plan for "engaging the community and using that engagement to help the people we serve become socially integrated." He points to a recent school field trip in which children visited the mill to learn about the arts, the environment, and the site's history, as well as about the organization and its clients. The "nonpolluting nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. " Alternatives also aimed to demonstrate its commitment to the community by creating an environmentally friendly place. "As a nonprofit we feel that we have a responsibility to be as cost-effective and efficient as possible with our resources, and that includes being better stewards of our environment," Rice explains. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During construction contractors recycled razed lumber and diverted 95% of construction waste from landfills. For example, old wood beams that needed to be removed became benches in the plaza, and the theater's ceiling panels were made from two tulip tulip [Pers.,=turban], any plant of the large genus Tulipa, hardy, bulbous-rooted members of the family Liliaceae (lily family), indigenous to north temperate regions of the Old World from the Mediterranean to Japan and growing most abundantly on the steppes trees on-site. The adjacent Mumford River, the sun, and the earth eventually will supply nearly all of the complex's heating/cooling and energy needs. Five geothermal ge·o·ther·mal also ge·o·ther·mic adj. Of or relating to the internal heat of the earth. ge wells heat and cool the campus. A 32-panel photovoltaic The generation of voltage by a material that is exposed to light in the visible and invisible ranges. See photoelectric and photovoltaic cell. system on the three-story administration building provides about 5% of the site's annual energy needs, and a hydroelectric system will provide most of the complex's electricity. After taking several years to secure the proper permits for hydroelectric power hydroelectric power: see power, electric; water power. hydroelectric power Electricity produced from generators driven by water turbines that convert the energy in falling or fast-flowing water to mechanical energy. (32 state and federal agencies were consulted), Alternatives had to delay the equipment's installation last year because heavy rain kept the river's level too high. Installation is planned for later this year, and once complete Alternatives will generate more than 80% of its electricity needs on-site. The organization had considered wind power, but it wasn't practical because the mill is in a valley. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Other green aspects of the complex include: * High-efficiency lighting and motion sensors * Parking specifically for hybrid vehicles This is a list of hybrid vehicles in chronological order of production: Early designs
* Bright white roofs to reflect sunlight and heat * Double-glazed aluminum windows with thermal brakes to prevent heat loss/gain * Underground sediment tanks that filter runoff Runoff The procedure of printing the end-of-day prices for every stock on an exchange onto ticker tape. Notes: If the "tape is late" then it can take a long time to print off all the closing prices. * Low-flow toilets [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Alternatives' interest in environmental responsibility doesn't end with the mill complex. It aims to reduce its carbon footprint A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product or service. by 26% organization-wide in three years. "It won't just be this mill that will be green, but all of our 45 programs will be as green as they can be," Rice explains. Because of this commitment, the Milford Daily News labeled Alternatives as the "nonpolluting nonprofit." Going green also helped with fund-raising by tapping into the public's growing interest in sustainability and the environment. "The extra cost of going green was more than offset by the opportunity to tap into that fund-raising vein," Rossiter notes. Project in progress As is the case for any organization undertaking a project of this size, Alternatives had a few bumps along the way to completing the complex. Philip Ingersoll-Mahoney, Alternatives' director of administration and finance, points out that the project had some unanticipated costs, such as removing oil from the old hydroturbine pits as well as some structural issues. Rossiter says having strong board support when problems arose was essential to making the complex a reality, and he advises that others considering such an endeavor make sure that their board is in it for the long haul Long distance. Long haul implies traversing a state or a country. Contrast with short haul. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Having a board that is really committed to the project is very, very important because there are going to be some times when things are looking tough," he explains. "If that board doesn't hang in behind you, that can be a real problem." Alternatives has many plans for the Within Mill complex. It is working with Worcester Polytechnic Institute and other partners on a cutting-edge system to convert heat from the site's parking lot into electricity, and once the hydroelectric equipment is operational it plans to apply for LEED Gold certification (LEED is a national green building industry standard). The organization is looking to find a tenant for the restaurant space (A deal was close but was scuttled by the economic downturn), and the mill's original bell will be put on display. Finding even more ways to involve Alternatives' consumers in the events at the mill is also on the agenda. Alternatives is tracking how the mill project is impacting individuals it serves, the organization, and the community. In three years it aims to reach the following goals: * Increase the number of new relationships formed by individuals it serves with community members by 60% * Increase the number of volunteers by 50% * Increase the number of valued roles (at home, at work, or in the community) acquired by individuals it serves by 25% * By using green technology, increase by 10% the operational dollars for services * Increase the annual number of staff training hours to 22,000 through using the mill's training center * Increase private fund-raising by 50% * Increase the number of cultural events and educational activities at the facility by 35% * Increase the number of collaborative partnerships with community organizations by 50% * Create 30 new jobs within the facility Inspiration for others The Whitin Mill complex has attracted national and international attention, drawing visitors from Canada, England, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Rice hopes other organizations will be inspired by Alternatives' strive for a deeper reach into the community. "If you are committed to community inclusion you can no longer relate to the community only once or twice a year with your hand put out to raise dollars," he says. "Organizations like Alternatives also need to be committed to building a stronger community for everyone, not just the people that we serve." Rossiter notes that "Underlying all of this was to make us a stronger member of the community, and a stronger community is going to be more supportive of what we do." Rice adds that everyone benefits from a human services provider with a broader reach and mission: "We see this project as creating a sustainable pool of community resources that will not only contribute to the economic development and quality of life of the region, but that will provide opportunity after opportunity for people we serve to obtain that home, that job, that relationship that they deserve. We are seeing directly the benefit of how the mill is doing that." RELATED ARTICLE: The mill grinds down barriers by Mark S. Salzer, PhD Through its mill restoration project, Alternatives Unlimited, Inc., has increased opportunities for full community participation by immersing itself into the larger social context in which the organization and its consumers reside. Consistent with the social model of disability, diminished participation results from environmental barriers as well as individual impairments. Overcoming environmental barriers requires agencies to become more engaged partners in the community. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Breaking out of the mental health community bubble and developing broader, reciprocal community relationships generate social capital that enhances overall community strength and vibrancy, access to community resources for the agency and consumers, and influence in addressing community barriers. Such efforts also have the potential to reduce prejudice and discrimination, major barriers to full participation, by increasing awareness and providing positive associations about people with mental illness. The mill development itself is a new setting that increases opportunities for prosocial contact between persons with and without mental illnesses. Such contact is believed to be a powerful antidote to prejudice and discrimination. Alternatives has established an important and innovative model for others to follow. However, success does not require an historic mill or a multimillion dollar campaign, It does require new conceptual understandings and strategies that are community-oriented and viewed as essential recovery-oriented activities of mental health agencies and practitioners. Mark S. Salzer, PhD, is an Associate Professor at and Director of the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. Collaborative on Community Integration (www.upennrrtc.org), a Rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. Research and Training Center funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and an investigator with the VISN VISN Veterans Integrated Service Network VISN Virtual Integrated Sky Network (Loral Orion) VISN Visual Interactive Support Network 4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center based at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. To contact him, e-mail mark.salzer@uphs.upenn.edu RELATED ARTICLE: The financial nuts and bolts of renovating the mill by Dean Adams Alternatives Unlimited, Inc.'s redevelopment of the Whitin Mill property was a long and complicated process that required many years of foresight, planning, and determination by Alternatives' employees, management, and board of directors, with significant support from the Whitinsville community. The financing process, which provided the resources to bring this dream to fruition, was no less complex, as identifying and acquiring funding within the constraints of a nonprofit human services agency's budget proved to be a significant challenge. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Obtaining the necessary funding required the financial commitment of multiple parties, both public and private, to make the project a reality for Alternatives and its clients. This was a multiyear, multistage process. The initial funding was derived from a variety of sources and included many different types of funding: * Internally generated funds * Individual and corporate donations from the community * Construction loans from local commercial banks * Grants from private foundations * Grants and subsidized sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. loans from multiple state and federal agencies As the renovation process moved forward, Alternatives focused on the development of a long-term financing structure that culminated in the issuance of tax-exempt bonds as the permanent financing Permanent financing Long-term financing using either debt or equity. permanent financing The long-term financing that supports a long-term asset. vehicle for the project. This long-term financing was provided through the private placement of tax-exempt bonds to institutional investors. The bonds were issued through MassDevelopment, a state economic-development agency that also serves as a conduit for tax-exempt bond issues for nonprofit organizations. These fixed-rate bonds provided Alternatives with several financial and operational advantages, including long-term budgetary certainly for its capital costs and the elimination of refinancing risk In banking and finance, refinancing risk is the possibility that a borrower cannot refinance by borrowing to repay existing debt. Many types of commercial lending incorporate bullet payments at the point of final maturity; often, the intention or assumption is that the borrower associated with typical bank loan structures. Cost breakdown for the Whitin Mill complex Renovation of space for performance center, career $2,221,869 resource center, and restaurant Renovation of mill (housing museum*, apartments, and 1,584,478 artisan space) Renovation of three-story building (housing Alternatives' 1,494,410 administrative headquarters) Site development, plaza 969,449 General conditions, contractor fees 882,237 Architectural, engineering, consulting fees 753,978 Hazardous waste cleanup 492,510 Hydrogeneration system 421,000 Contingency, insurance, fit out (painting, carpeting, 389,048 etc.), and miscellaneous expenses Geothermal systems 307,079 Renovation of forge (used for blacksmithing and 187,639 glassblowing) Photovoltaic system 102,000 LEED commissioning 52,000 Total expenses $9,757,697 * Museum of the Industrial Heritage of the Blackstone Valley awaiting donations prior to development. Source: Philip Ingersoll-Mahoney, Alternatives Dean Adams is Director of Operations for the Community Health Facilities Fund (www.chffloan.org), a nonprofit loan fund that provides capital to nonprofit community-based behavioral healthcare organizations nationwide. CHFF CHFF Chicago Horror Film Festival assisted Alternatives in structuring the tax-exempt bond financing, identifying the institutional investor Institutional Investor A non-bank person or organization that trades securities in large enough share quantities or dollar amounts that they qualify for preferential treatment and lower commissions. , and closing the transaction. Adams previously wrote on developing a financial blueprint for a capital project (See behavioral.net/adams1208). He can be reached at dadams@chffloan.org. ALTERNATIVES Community Life For People With Disabilities Real Homes [Real Jobs] Real Relationships * Founded in 1976 * Headquarters in Whitinsville, Mass. * 45 programs throughout central Mass. * 450 employees * 600 clients served annually * $22.9 M current fiscal year budget For more about Alternatives, visit www.alternativesnet.org by Douglas J. Edwards, Editor-in-Chief Alternatives Unlimited, Inc.'s Wihthin Mill complex. Photos by Rich Morgan Photography. |
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