Austin's Place
JEFFERSON TWP — Bonnie Wilczynski never intended Austin's Place to be a large operation.
That all changed when the facility for adults with intellectual disabilities became so popular that Wilczynski and her husband, Victor, who co-founded Austin's Place, decided they needed more space.
“Once we got started, the phone calls started coming in and there was no place for us to grow,” Bonnie Wilczynski said. “I didn't want to overcrowd it.”
The Wilczynskis began looking for a larger property last October, a year after they opened Austin's Place.
They closed on a 22-acre site complete with three buildings and a pool in April, and opened the new facility on July 5th. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the property at 447 Dinnerbell Road, at 10 a.m. Friday.
Austin's Place runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and is for individuals with disabilities including cerebral palsy, autism, blindness, deafness and seizure disorders.
Bonnie Wilczynski said clients are those on the lower end of functional skills.
“The people that have more sensitive needs are who we work with,” she said.
The Wilczynskis were inspired to open Austin's Place after their son, Austin, graduated from the Watson Institute at age 21.
They couldn't find a suitable place for Austin, so they decided to create one of their own.
After their initial success with Austin's Place, a nonprofit organization, they purchased a property that included a barn, a three-car garage with an apartment above it, and a 15-room, two-story house.
The Wilczynskis received grant money and fixed up the place with the help of volunteers.
“(There was) a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and sleepless nights,” Bonnie Wilczynski said. “My husband and family and I were here every night and every weekend.”
The hard work paid off; the clients are currently enjoying the property, including the pool, a walking trail, a kitchen, a home movie theater, and various activity rooms.There are 18 staff members, including Bonnie and Victor's children, Victor Jr., Amanda and Samantha.Each of the 12 clients has specialists who work with them on social activities and various basic life skills.“Everybody's (individual support plan) is different,” Bonnie Wilczynski said. “Austin's is socialization. He does not like to be around a lot of people. Big crowds make him nervous, so participation for him might just be being in the same room as the other group if they're bowling.”The three-car garage was converted into an area with sensory rooms to either soothe or stimulate the clients. Austin's Place also plans for a recreational garden, which will include swings for clients.It's a shift in roles for the Wilczynskis, who for years were the ones seeking and receiving help for their son, and now are the ones providing the service.Bonnie Wilczynski said that, even when there are technical problems with the property, it's all worth it.“When you see those people have a blast, laughing, carrying on, and really having a good quality of life, that's what you do it for,” she said. “It's to make sure everybody's happy, engaged, and not left in a corner alone somewhere.”
