BYRON, Ga. — One Byron couple is launching Generations to Come Center -- a business center for people with special needs.
Executive Director Shakita Anderson and her husband and Deputy Director Terry Anderson say they wanted to give people with special needs something to look forward to.
It took them two years of planning, but the center will finally open on September 26.
"Having a love and passion for special needs individuals has caused me to want to open up my own center to give them the love and attention that they need and, you know, just provide something different for them," Shakita said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 27% of adults in Georgia have some type of disability.
Their business motto is "Where family matters, not your disability." Shakita says the center will give people opportunities they may not have elsewhere.
"Allowing them to integrate themselves within the community by doing different charity events, doing different volunteer work, getting them in the routine of even working for themselves, how to live on their own, if they prefer to live on their own," she said.
Crisp County couple Freddie Mae Lewis and her husband Carl Lewis have two children with special needs. They say the resources are limited. Freddie Mae says she looks forward to the new business launching.
"I'm excited about the new opening... the special needs thing that just really got me because I've been looking several years trying to find something... for my girls, and I want to try... to better them as being a member of society when they get out of high school," she said.
Shakita says her ultimate goal is to help people feel more welcome in society.
"What I really hope to accomplish with these individuals is that they would be more productive citizens and that they would be more recognized in our community and much more loved and accepted, so that when they do go out, that they'll have more opportunities to do things," she said.
The center will be having a virtual grand opening on September 26 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. If you want more information on the business or services, visit their Facebook page or contact them at 229-699-1700.
The center is located at 901 Gunn Road, Suite 1000.