Our History
Over 50 YEARS OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Beginnings…
In 1948 Edythe Ibold gave birth to Midge. Her daughter was nine months old before a doctor looked her squarely in the eye and pronounced the child a mongoloid. Today that birth defect is called Down syndrome.
Midge actually nudged her mother into action on her third Christmas morning. Instead of playing with the infant toys her parents continued to give her, Midge played with the more complicated toys given to her older sister. Edythe Ibold got the message.
She telephoned the Pinellas Superintendent of Schools and asked what kind of training she could find for her daughter. She was told that the School Board “was prevented by law from providing for these children.” Those were fighting words for Edythe Ibold and she set out to change the system.
Taking action…
In 1952, Mrs. Ibold placed a small notice in The St. Petersburg Times inviting parents of retarded children to a meeting in the St. Petersburg City Hall. “It was an exceptional surprise when 26 people came. It took guts to come out and say you had a retarded child, but we’d found friends,” recalled Mrs. Ibold in a 1983 interview.
“At that time the situation was far different than it is today,” continued Mrs. Ibold. “Nothing, figuratively speaking, was being done for the retarded children in Pinellas County. ... on the local scene there were no schools for the retarded, no day care centers, and no counseling services for the distressed parents.
PARC was born…
From that first group of concerned parents PARC was formed. The group obtained its charter as the Pinellas Association for Retarded Children in April 1953. Mrs. Ibold served as its first President and charter member.
The first project successfully tackled by the group was the opening in 1953 of a pilot class for moderately retarded children. The School Board furnished the teacher, the Red Cross provided transportation and members of the Junior Women’s Club provided volunteer assistance.
Growth in programs…
During September 1954, the Peter Pan School opened at 2819 21st Avenue North and in 1956 moved to a single-family residence in Gulfport. The big day arrived on Oct. 2, 1960 when the Peter Pan School finally moved into a new building in Pinellas Park next to the Parkland School. During this period, Bert Muller served as volunteer President of the Board of Directors. He continued as a volunteer until 1963, when he became the first Executive Director of the Peter Pan School. (He held that position until he retired in 1992.)
According to a 1965 article in The St. Petersburg Times, “Muller feels he is a salesman, selling a program to a public which is not yet fully aware of the services needed by the retarded children…When he began his work as a volunteer, a beam of hope fell on the Peter Pan School. Today it illuminates all Florida.”
In 1966 the building in Pinellas Park was sold to the School Board and PARC moved the preschool program to temporary headquarters, while Carol Holland, Board President, secured land for a new school in St. Petersburg. The City Council voted to sell six acres of land in the Tyrone area – this was the beginning of PARC’s St. Petersburg campus. The campus has since grown in the Tyrone area and in other areas of St. Petersburg. PARC has taken on the broader mission of serving all ages. In addition, PARC expanded its services beyond the retarded child, serving a range of children and adults with varied disabilities.
The clients’ needs have driven the changes at PARC. Residential programs have been added including the Cottages, PARC Center Apartments, Curry Villa and Burkett Villa. Homebound programs are part of the preschool curriculum now so parents and children have an opportunity to be served by outreach services. Supportive employment, supportive living and job coaching are outreach programs to guide adults in their independent living. Work opportunities, creative programs and life enrichment activities are all part of the PARC that has evolved.
Today’s PARC…
Under the leadership of Sue Buchholtz, President, PARC has a national reputation as a progressive leader in the field of developmental disabilities. With over 40 programs, PARC offers many choices to the individuals it serves.
Expansion in recent years has meant enhanced innovative opportunities:
Employment in the community, Residential, the Cultural Arts Center, Rainforest Therapy Center, the Margaret E. Dickins Children's Technology Center, the Adult Technology Achievement Center, the Fine Arts Studio & Gallery Program and PARC Center Industries have been added or expanded to meet the needs of many. Every day PARC serves more than 800 children, youth and adults – helping them turn disabilities into capabilities.
The history of PARC serves as a living testimonial to what the forces of concerned parents, community leaders, volunteers and others can accomplish. Many people have helped PARC become the successful organization it is today. Countless individuals have made a difference in the lives of thousands of developmental disabled children and adults.
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