Gateway Services celebrates 50 years of service

PRINCETON — In honor of the 50th anniversary, the public is invited to attend an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at the main Gateway Services offices located at 406 S. Gosse Blvd. in Princeton. Light refreshments will be served.

This will be an opportunity for visitors to tour the building, learn about the various programs and meet some of the staff.

Their humble beginnings started on March 2, 1970, in an abandoned schoolhouse in Malden. Staffed with a crew of three, one program and $35,000, Gateway Services was born.

Now — 50 years later — Gateway has seven programs, approximately 115 staff, three office buildings, a mechanic's garage and six residential homes, and an annual budget exceeding $5 million. They moved to their current location on South Gosse Boulevard in Princeton in 1978.

In 1978, their first home was rented to provide 24-hour residential supports. Today, they have six CILA homes, two of which are owned by Gateway Services, and four are rental agreements between a landlord and the individuals who live there.

Prior to 1989, transportation was Gateway-specific. Today, BPART consists of Gateway as the lead administrator and three partner agencies (St. Margaret’s Hospital, Bureau County Senior Citizens Association and Putnam County Senior Center).

In Fiscal Year 2019, the BPART system had 28 vehicles on the road. They logged 602,912 miles and provided 65,808 rides.

In 2007, the day program expanded from the Princeton location to include an office in Henry to better serve individuals from eastern Bureau, Marshall and Putnam counties.

Over the years, Gateway saw programs change from recycling to a sheltered workshop and a woodshop. Recycling closed in 1992, followed by the woodshop a few years later, and then the sheltered workshop in 1997. The focus shifted to employment within the community, allowing individuals choice of employment and real jobs with real pay.

2017 saw the beginning of Open Doors Community Counseling, a community mental health program. Located in Perry Plaza (and in Henry as of 2019), the program is currently seeing children (ages 5 and older) and adults with Medicaid only.

“We have seen many changes since the 1970s; however, we share a common goal of ensuring a high quality of life for everyone,” Tracy Wright, CEO, said. “We hope you’ll join us on March 15th as we celebrate the past and look ahead to the future.”

Gateway Services provides a variety of services and supports for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in Bureau, Marshall and Putnam counties. To learn more, visit www.gateway-services.org or find them on Facebook.