BRIGHTSTONE INC
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Mission Statement
Brightstone does not receive any funding from state or federal government sources. We are privately funded by tuition and donations. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive work, social support, and future residential community for adults with special needs, expanding their potential and helping them develop mentally, physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. BrightStone gives each adult a reason to get up in the morning and something of value to do.
About This Cause
BrightStone assists in the life journey of adults who live each day with a developmental disability by making it possible for them to live and work in a community of their own choosing. Our vision is to provide whole life care, meeting the needs of job, home, recreation and social, physical, and health in a God-centered, caring environment. BrightStone recently purchased 138 acres of land. We are planning a capital campaign for 2017. Our future expanded campus will allow all administrative, job training and life-learning classes, and therapeutic activities to be on one campus along with a variety of residential living options to meet the needs of the adults we serve. This is the heart-cry of families: “What will happen to my family member when I am no longer able to provide care?” BrightStone desires to be that answer in the best possible way, assuring that quality, individualized and loving care is provided. BrightStone is in the “life-saving” business! Our History BrightStone began when local special educators, families of adults with developmental disabilities, and a caring community in middle Tennessee saw a great need and made a commitment to meet that need. At the time research revealed that 72% of all students exiting local high schools, who had received job training and accomplished work skills, were still living at home with no prospects of a job and no post-secondary opportunities. On September 7, 1999, BrightStone opened its doors to four students and their excited families at The People’s Church in Franklin, Tennessee. The donated space allowed the students to participate in job training and life learning classes. In 2007 BrightStone students and staff moved into our first building. Built specifically to meet the needs of our adults, it was now possible to expand the job training program, enhance health services, and significantly increase the number of individuals we could serve. Today BrightStone serves 38 adults with special needs by providing a full curriculum of job skills, productive work habits, functional academics, computer skills, health and nutrition, physical wellness, art, music, crafts, community activities, daily life skills, and leisure and learning activities along with supervised transportation. Brightstone students learn productive work habits by participating in our learning classrooms. Our Learning Lab, with six touch screen computers (donated), gives our adults an opportunity to learn functional academics and literacy skills. Our job training classrooms allow students to experience the meaning of teamwork, learn productive work habits and our classrooms include our ceramics, consumables (an FDA approved room for food), paint, and packaging/fulfillment. Our adults enjoy participating in our enterprise programs making student-crafted products that include beautiful ceramics, painted craft items, seasonal greeting cards using their artwork, and making a variety of food items including cookie mixes, fudge mix, brownie mix, and hot and cold tea mixes. Our food items are beautifully boxed and packaged by our adults and sold in several local retail outlets. All our products are available for purchase at BrightStone and at local craft fair events. Our adults love making BrightStone products and take great pride knowing they sell well and help support BrightStone. Our future campus will allow us to serve 120 adults with disabilities and also offer 80 adults with a permanent residential option. Our new campus will be the first facility of its kind in the state of Tennessee. The total campus project is estimated to cost $22,000,000. Our operating budget is $1,130,000. Tuition funds about one-third of our budget. The balance is privately raised from compassionate individuals, foundation grants, and support from corporations and churches. Tuition for a student to attend full-time BrightStone's day program is $10,380. To learn more about our future campus, please contact Randy Elliott, Director of Advancement at randy.elliott@brightstone.org or by phone at 615-790-4888 x 101.