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A Beaumont nonprofit that helps children with disabilities is in danger of closing its doors

The Shorkey Center in Beaumont says if they don't make some big changes soon, they'll no longer be able to provide therapy to hundreds of children.

BEAUMONT, Texas — A Southeast Texas nonprofit that helps children with disabilities is fighting to keep its doors open.

The Shorkey Center in Beaumont says if they don't make some big changes soon, they'll no longer be able to provide therapy to hundreds of children.

The Shorkey Center offers everything from physical, speech, applied behavior analysis , recreation, and aquatic therapy for kids with disabilities and a daycare.

Shorkey representatives say they're considering selling land or cutting some services to try and stay afloat.

The Shorkey Center has been around since the 1940's and in the same building since the 1970's. The center receives just under $200,000 in grant money from United Way every year. But officials say, it's sadly not enough.

"We live paycheck to paycheck," said Executive Director Dr. Robin Pearson.

 Physical therapists who work with children inside the classrooms and in the pool at the center say that it's a place of hope.

"They start to show love and compassion for other kids and their parents, it just brings joy," Dr. Pearson said.

Dr. Pearson held back tears as she explained the financial crisis the center is facing.

"We are funding primarily through our insurance that we bill for all the therapy. The costs of living has gone up but we've had no increase in our rates for insurance," she said.

Insurance is just the tip of the iceberg.

"The sewers back up, we have a room that was flooded the toilet and shower flooded and an office that flooded.  so we've had to vacate those spaces. And then there's the cost of the plumber and the room that's leaking," Dr. Pearson said.

Dr. Pearson says the $170,000 grant from United Way only goes so far and they've had to use some of their reserves funds. Now they're facing tough decisions.

Pearson says the center already had to eliminate their after-school program that included 12 kids, because of costs. 

"We're looking at a deficit probably $150,000 on top of that. We'll have to start cutting services," she said.

Pearson says first they may have to sell a piece of adjacent land, that they hoped would have been the future home of a new facility. 

"The original dream and goal was to get multiple refineries to build a quarter of the facility. So you have one that's an activity of daily living where they teach kids how to shower and eat, then we'd have another area that's a gym where physical therapy is happening. So we really wanted to see that happen, but our struggles have become so great and so grand and so dire we are wanting to sell the land,"  Dr. Pearson told 12News.

Dr. Pearson has reached out to state and local leaders like Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and Beaumont Mayor Roy West.

"They did give us some good suggestions like who to write to in aspects of how to get those rates changed," Dr. Pearson told 12News.

The biggest struggle for the center is knowing that if their doors close, the kids may not have anywhere else to go.

"The other facilities are so full, they have to go to Houston which is juts not feasible. They want to know what we need we need to support the kids we have here,"

Dr. Pearson says she's in daily contact with the center's board members as they figure out what tough decision to make next.

If you would like to help you can visit their website.

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