With an increasing amount of people recycling, Sunflower Diversified Services has outgrown their recycling center on West 10th Street in Great Bend. The non-profit organization serving children and adults with developmental disabilities announced last year the acquisition of the old Pro-Tint building to the west of their current recycling center and UPS store.
Sunflower CEO Jon Prescott is hopeful that they are able to switch their recycling production to the new building within the next two and half weeks.
With four acres of land on their West 10th Street location now, Sunflower hopes that within the next 2-3 years they can build a new day services facility for the adult clients and a new school for the children they serve. "We will be applying for a community development block grant," said Prescott. "It is normally a 75%/25% split so we have to come up with funds to equal 25% of that. If we are awarded that grant to build the new building, then we will start fundraising to raise the 25% side of that." Sunflower has their Early Education school on Patton Road, but after recently getting certified to specialize in autism services for children, the organization needs more room to grow. Sunflower is currently serving five children with an autism diagnosis and have a waiting list to assist others.
Prescott envisions building the new adult center and school on 10th Street for a campus-like setting. "Right now we are scattered all over," Prescott said. "We have a facility at the airport, the school on Patton, day services on K-96 Highway. We hope to get everyone in that area and within walking distance. That would cut down on our operational costs." Sunflower was also able to purchase the yellow-brick building to the west of the old Pro-Tint shop to house their accounting, purchasing and case management team members.
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