It has been quite the week here at Learning Independence for Tomorrow. Hurricane Milton took a big swing at us and caused some pretty significant damage. Our roof failed in a couple of places, most notably over our gym.
The basketball courts I played on as a kid are now warped beyond repair, ripped up, and in a dumpster behind the school.
We had a lot of water intrusion - that tends to happen when your roof doesn’t hold up - and had to rip up flooring and carpet and drywall in five classrooms, our technology lab, our Evara Health clinic, both major hallways, and our sensory room.
Close to 70% of our walls had to be cut, dried, cleaned, re-hung with new drywall, and painted. We lost carpets, tile, and sensory equipment.
And yet, our mission continues. We know how important it is to be here for our students. We know the value of familiarity, routine, and comfort for people with neurodiversity.
And so we made a promise. We said we would reopen on Monday the 21st. 10 days.
The transformation of our space has been nothing short of miraculous. The professionals at SERVPRO Extreme Response Team were here on Friday less than 24 hours after the call for help. Their abatement and mitigation work was excellent. Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT have been here nearly 24/7 for a week putting everything back together. Thanks to Garrett Neuman and Hannah Gross, they have delivered on every stretch goal we proposed.
Our LiFT team has rallied to the task. Our families have been incredible. Our board has been supportive and encouraging. Many hands have made it possible. We will have many stories from these crazy last few days, with support pouring out from parents, grandparents, schools in Texas, NGOs in England, and on and on. But one thing matters above the rest….
We will be open on Monday for our students.
#HurricaneMilton #Nonprofit #Community #Neurodiversity
