Joyce C. working in the Production Center. Photo courtesy of Florida Today.
In February 1968, Brevard County Community Achievement Center was born. And the rest is history.
During an invite-only Birthday Bash at Brevard Achievement Center’s (BAC) Rockledge headquarters on February 22, the agency celebrated its 50th anniversary with community leaders, supporters and friends of BAC. In addition, BAC launched its year-long Every Star Counts capital campaign with a $50,000 goal. Monies raised during the campaign will be used to build a new bus loop on an adjacent lot recently purchased by the agency. Thanks to in-kind donations by MEC Construction and Monroe Engineering, the capital campaign is well on its way.
Earlier in the week, BAC received resolutions from both the Brevard County Commission and Rockledge City Council in recognition of the agency’s golden anniversary. Both commended the agency not only for its anniversary milestone, but for being the largest employer of people with disabilities in Brevard County.
“Individuals with disabilities in this community have relied on BAC to help them achieve personal success for half a century,” said President & CEO, Amar Patel. “Beginning with seven clients and three staff members to today serving approximately 4,000 individuals with disabilities in three states and Puerto Rico definitely shows that our reputation for quality programs and services has withstood the test of time.”
One person who knows this to be true is Joyce C., one of BAC’s first seven clients who, after a 25 year absence, returned to BAC in 2016.
“Our parents moved to Georgia and Joyce went with them,” sister Faye Voss said. “When they got elderly and needed full-time care, the three of them came back to Brevard to live with my husband and I,” she added. When their parents died, Joyce came back to BAC to have a sense of purpose according to Voss.
Read more about BAC’s 50th anniversary and Joyce’s journey in Florida Today.