The roots of Gateway lie in the people in Berrien County who were sensitive to the special needs of persons with disabilities and established private, tuition supported schools for "mentally retarded children" prior to 1962. In the northern part of the county, the BCARC (Berrien County Association for Retarded Children) had begun an educational program for persons with disabilities at the Benton Harbor YMCA in the late 1950's. At about the same time in Niles, the NAFEC (Niles Association for Exceptional Children) opened a private school.

In 1962 the YMCA group was split into two groups. The younger children attended school at a church on Main Street in St. Joseph while the young adults transferred to Maple Grove on Napier Avenue in Fairplain.

Soon after President Kennedy admitted that his sister was handicapped, the education of persons with disabilities was included in the tax-supported public educational system. It was about 1965 when Hilltop Gard School in St. Joseph and The Electric Light School in Niles were thus funded. As the program at Gard School grew, more space was required and eventually the program, with Mary Wilhelmson in charge, was moved to the new facilities at Blossomland School in Berrien Springs.

In about 1966, a sheltered workshop was built at Maple Grove which added Work and Earning opportunity to the existing programs of Activities in Daily Living and Academics. Before long a second sheltered workshop was established by BCARC on Langley Avenue in a building adjacent to Joe Hanley's factory.

There was no county-wide coordinated program for individuals with disabilities beyond age 26. In 1970 and 1971 serious discussions were held between the two associations regarding the formation of a county-wide organization to provide such services at a more central location. Berrien Springs was chosen as the desired location and suitable land was found.

A committee of three was formed to write a set of bylaws for this proposed corporation. Dr. Valantiejus was chairman with Marcy Odehnal and Dwain Ford as members. After their work was complete, the Articles of Incorporation were filed in Lansing, MI and were accepted November 17, 1972.

Once Gateway was incorporated, a board of trustees was appointed which held its first meeting on Dec. 20, 1972. The 19 member Board was chosen to provide representation and input from the different areas of the county. From St. Joseph there were 4 Board members, Benton Harbor 4, Niles 6 and the remaining 5 were from five different small towns in Berrien County.

The name of Gateway was chosen because its founders saw this facility as a gateway through which handicapped people would pass on their way to new opportunities and a brighter future. The following is their one sentence definition of Gateway. "Gateway is a non-profit Corporation designed to provide vocationally related services to physically, mentally and emotionally handicapped adults".

The year 1973 was a busy one, working with Architect Hatfield on building plans, fund-raising and other organizational matters such as selecting Bob Jones as the Executive Director of Gateway. On September 19, 1973 at the First Annual meeting, it was projected that an additional $109,000 was needed for the building. Half of that amount would be available as matching funds for the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation but the other half would have to be raised locally.

Early in 1974 the Poole Construction Company began work on the building and it was possible to hold the first Gateway staff meeting in the building on October 1, 1974. About three weeks later on October 21, Gateway opened its doors for service to persons of Berrien County. The public open house on Feb. 23, 1975 attracted 350 visitors who were pleased by what they saw.

The size of the Gateway staff increased from 10 to 14 before the end of the first fiscal year. The number of clients served daily role from about 50 to 75 that year. Thirteen different companies contracted for 14 different types of jobs at Gateway's workshop during the first 8 months of operation.

The Work Evaluation Program developed early in the year and led to its logical sequel-the Work Adjustment Program. Both programs received official approval from the Vocational Rehabilitation Services of the Michigan Department of Education.

Further expansion took place in March of 1987, with the addition of the Career Development Center (CDC), currently located in the Vincent Place in Benton Harbor. As a result, Gateway provides job development, placement, and job coaching services throughout Berrien and surrounding Michigan counties.

In 1998, NAFEC (Niles Association For Exceptional Citizens) was merged with Gateway. This organization began in 1969 offering social programs for the handicapped at the YMCA in Niles emphasizing swimming and later included bowling. Adriene Sullivan deserves special recognition for leading out in this work for over 20 years as a volunteer. In 1974 NAFEC focused considerable effort in developing the "Open Door" a housing project for handicapped citizens. In later years the organization provided day activity services for persons with severe disabilities, many of whom required a staff :client ratio ranging from 1:1 to 1:3. A portion of NAFEC continued to exist in the Niles area providing recreational services.

In 2003, Gateway began providing CLS (Community Living Services) for Riverwood Community Mental Health Center. Services are provided in the homes of consumers or at the businesses and resources of local communities. Services are not job-related but are relevant to the integration of consumers into their communities.

In 2005, Milestones merged with Gateway. Milestones, located on Lakeview Avenue in St. Joseph, had been formed several years earlier by a merger of Easter Seals and the ARC in southwestern Michigan. Milestones provides OT and PT services for children, and other recreational, therapeutic training, and enrichment activities for youth and adults.

Besides therapeutic services and vocational training provided at its sites, work is used as a modality for training. In addition to paper and cardboard recycling activities, Gateway functions as a 'job shop' with other businesses for sorting, packaging and other materials processing. Consumers are paid for their work according to U.S. Department of Labor guidelines for 'commensurate' wages.

The staff at Gateway consists of approximately 45 full and part time persons, including professionals and para-professionals, trained and experienced in the fields of vocational (re)habilitation, vocational evaluation, work adjustment, job training, job placement, social work, case management, behavior management, education, industrial production and relevant fields. Staff to consumer ratios generally range from 1:3 to 1:25 depending upon the programs and needs of the individual. Services are provided at the Gateway-owned Margaret B. Upton Center in St. Joseph and the Sylvester St. buildings in Berrien Springs, in addition to other sites in local communities.

Gateway cooperates professionally with Michigan Department of Mental Health, Riverwood Center(RCMH), Niles Association for Exceptional Citizens, Berrien County RESA, Michigan Commission for the Blind, the Berrien County Human Services agency, Berrien County Health Department, public schools, Veteran's Administration, Michigan Works, Michigan Rehabilitation Services and various private rehabilitation agencies.

Rev. 08 2008

Credits: a major portion of this history was written by Dwayne L. Ford in January, 2000 for a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Gateway's existence.