“We’re helping people who usually live below the surface of everyday life to realize their potential.”


Dee Ann Grand, an art therapy intern, assists a local student with an


art project at one of the weekly art nights for children with autism.


only ones in the area who needed assistance. Tere were children with developmental, men- tal and psychological delays or issues, as well as seniors grappling with dementia. Quickly the Star Center and its clientele grew beyond the visually impaired. “In the beginning our mis- sion was focused on a very specific need,” says Dave Bratcher, the organization’s president and CEO. “Our mission hasn’t changed. It’s still very focused on the specific needs of anyone who presents themselves for services here.” Since its founding, the Star Center has served


thousands, and it provides services that range from home care to evaluations, education and therapy. In 2014 that included about 100 cli- ents in home care, assistance for 45 low-vision clients, placement services for about 70 clients


with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and over 100 students who received help at the center’s literacy lab. One need that continues to increase is for


the center’s services for children and adults with autism. Te Star Center offers a variety of services, such as a monthly parent support group, as well as a sibling group, so that children can express what it’s like living with a sibling di- agnosed with autism. Programming also includes Arts-4-Autism


Summer Camps: With the help of staff, students focus on addressing sensory needs through mu- sic and art. “We bring the kids in and work with them using music and painting,” Bratcher says. Each of the two summertime sessions caps


attendance at about 10, which is far below the demand in the community. “Staffing was an issue,” Bratcher explains, “and


scaling a program like this needs more people.” To that end the Star Center applied for and


received one of 40 State Farm Neighborhood Assist grants in 2015; the center plans to use the $25,000 award to hire another support person. Staff and volunteers hope community members who participate in the summer sessions but may not have heard of the organization’s other programs learn more about how Tennessee resi- dents can receive help. Perhaps the Star Center’s growth and expan-


sion was not something the Doumitts envi- sioned. But the good it does—and the good the State Farm grant can do—make an immeasur- able difference from day to day. Says Bratcher, “We’re helping people who


usually live below the surface of everyday life to realize their potential.”


A Community Comeback


Ask small-town residents what brings the population together and many probably answer “schools.” But in recent decades, popula- tion shiſts have shrunk rural communities. To accommodate shiſting student bodies, schools have been compelled to consolidate. In 1986 Bruce High School in Westernport,


Maryland, about 160 miles west of Baltimore, moved its students to a neighboring school. Te loss of the 11-year-old school was keenly


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