Group Living, Inc.
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A disability should not prevent a person from being a vital part of the community .....
Our MissionGroup Living, Inc. serves individuals with developmental disabilities. It is our purpose to help each individual attain their highest level of independence. We believe that opportunities for integration with non-handicapped persons in the community is the method by which this can best be achieved. Our habilitation training for persons served is aimed toward that purpose. Group Living Endowment Fund Group Living, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization providing community services to people with developmental disabilities. The purpose of Group Living, Inc. is to help each individual served reach the highest level of independence possible and to become an integral part of the community. All services are rendered with that in mind. The organization started in 1973 with two group homes, one for men and one for women and has grown with the growing needs of persons served. In 1974, to provide training and jobs, the Beehive, a thrift store, was opened. The Beehive is now a source of revenue for the program as well as providing several training sites and jobs for persons served and for individuals from the community. It also provides a multitude of services to the entire community. In 1979, the men’s group home burned and the Ross Foundation replaced both the men’s and women’s homes with a brick, co-ed home which is now used for housing for medically fragile individuals. In 1981, Group Living, Inc. was a pioneer in helping persons served find and establish individual housing in regular neighborhoods. Currently fifty-five persons in the GLI program live in homes in the community with support staff for their daily needs. Twenty-five percent of Group Living’s clientele are home owners. In 1985, Group Living started a housecleaning service to provide training and jobs for clientele. Two supervised crews clean private homes, businesses and churches and have a waiting list of patrons. In 1995, the Honeycomb restaurant was opened, again to provide training and jobs for clientele and the community. It has become a very popular place to gather and eat in the Arkadelphia area. The Honeycomb has received recognition from the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, has been featured in “Southern Living” magazine three times and is mentioned in the last few editions of “Off the Beaten Path.” In 2005, there was good news and bad news in GLI’s history. Lucas Gardens, condos for persons served, were opened in June and nine clients became home owners. In August, the downtown buildings operated by GLI and housing administrative offices, the Honeycomb Restaurant and the Beehive store were destroyed or badly damaged by fire. All services were temporarily restarted within two weeks. A capitol campaign was begun to restore/replace and expand all the above services. Group Living is governed by a board of directors made up of up to fifteen Arkadelphia citizens. It serves fifty-five individuals with developmental disabilities. It has a staff of fifty-five full time and forty-eight part-time persons with fifty-seven volunteers. The organization has always enjoyed the full support of the citizens of Arkadelphia and Clark County. The GLI budget is just over two and one half million; about half of which is devoted to payroll for clientele and staff. Besides funds generated by the Beehive, the Honeycomb, housecleaning and sub-contract work, which we do for a local roofing industry, GLI receives funding from Medicare, the State of Arkansas, United Way and other local donations.
Contact Information
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Send mail to
gmahaffey@groupliving.org with
questions or comments about this web site.
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