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Just a few weeks removed from kicking off a three-year fundraising campaign, Stanly Adult Care Center is near 25% of the goal.

Uwharrie Bank has set the pace with a $250,000 donation toward the center’s goal of raising $4 million by 2026. The total raised at the campaign kickoff was more than $987,000.

SACC Executive Director Sandy Carelock spoke of the great need for adult day care in the county and how the premise for SACC began.

“Johnsie Barringer started the adult daycare initiative in Stanly County several years ago,” Carelock shared with attendees at the kickoff dinner at Tillery Tradition.

“Johnsie’s husband Wayne had Alzheimer’s disease. Keeping Wayne at home with her was the only acceptable option to Johnsie. With no other resources available in Stanly County to help her keep him at home she was forced to go out of the county to find the care that he needed during the day so he could remain at home with her at night,” Carelock added.

“The round-trip drive for her was over 100 miles each day and some days she made that trip two times the same day. She started out making that drive twice a week, then three times a week, then five days a week. While having those services available increased the quality of life for her and her husband, they also faced hardships simply because the services they needed were not available here at home.

“Johnsie’s dream was to have adult day health care services in Stanly County so others would not face the to face the hardships she faced. Even after Wayne died, she worked tirelessly to bring these services to Stanly County. Unfortunately, Johnsie did not live to see her dream become a reality before she passed away.”

SACC was created in November 2021 by a group of community leaders. The organization incorporated in December 2021 and became a nonprofit in April 2022, Carelock said.

A building which formerly housed a child care center at the corner of Woodhurst Lane and Anderson Road has been purchased. The main entrance will be at 204 Anderson Road.

“The plans have been submitted to the county and we are waiting for approval to begin the renovation process,” she said.

Even the kickoff event, Carelock said, illustrated the work of and need for caregivers.

“Four of our board members are unable to be here tonight and as irony would have it three of those board members are being caregivers as we speak — one has a spouse that’s in the hospital, one has a spouse that’s recovering from a work injury and our 94-year-old member is taking care of her son,” Carelock said. “I could be up here all night telling you about the need that we have for these services. The need hits close to home.”

Stanly Adult Care Center will serve adults 18 and older.

“In the past four weeks I have received several calls from people looking for services and most are 57-59 years old and can’t find services,” Carelock said at the kickoff event. “One is a husband that needs to work, and his wife can’t be left alone. His schedule is unpredictable and it’s very hard for him to stick to a couple days a week or certain time frame. Another call was from the wife of a veteran that is making the same journey Johnise did asking to be on the waiting list because of the hardships they face by having to go outside of the county to receive help.”

SACC provides a breakdown of how the $4 million will be used to create services for adults Monday to Friday.

Disbursements will be made as follows:

• $2.5 million to transform the facility into an adult day health care facility — making two buildings into one. Amenities will include a full commercial kitchen, a therapeutic kitchen, dining room, living room, activity room, sunroom, health treatment room, exercise room, shower room, beauty shop, laundry and outdoor sitting and walking areas.

• $1 million for startup and first year operational needs, including initial costs for licensing, permits, insurance, medical supplies and equipment, utilities, administrative expenses, and training and education for staff and caregivers; and

• $500,000 to establish an endowment to assist hardship participant fee needs as well as for maintenance and repair of the facility and property.

“We anticipate starting renovation very soon,” Carelock said later. “It will be 8-12 months after renovation starts before we open so our target opening is summer/fall 2024.”