Blog

If you are the parent, guardian, or caretaker of an adult with disabilities, you have a life that can sometimes be complicated. For as many joys as life brings, there are also questions that come up over the years, regarding your loved one’s future, health, and happiness. Often, choosing an adult facility means giving up some control. By sending your loved one to a new home, you are unable to be there, at a moment’s notice, to help or to be there if he or she needs you. For years... Read More

At home over the holiday, I was reflecting on Baddour Center. This is a recurring reflection… I never cease to be amazed, and humbled, by others’ generosity to this ministry.  I confess the reflection is more intense toward year-end due to the often-overwhelming support people show Baddour.  When I returned this week to the office, I found the following quote in one of many emails:    "When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is bless... Read More

I must share a recent and tremendous experience. The Baddour Center participated in the 2017 FedEx Services Global Supplier Conference. The event, held at the historic Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, brought together hundreds of professionals whom worldwide serve FedEx at some point in their supply chain.  While this is probably not necessary, I remind you that we are a FedEx “supplier,” along with the many much larger, household names of corporations you might e... Read More

The Baddour Center is happy to announce that Independence United Methodist Church has reached out to Baddour residents by inviting them to join a Sunday School program at the church. “We are thrilled about the church’s willingness to do this and thankful for their enthusiasm,” Parke Pepper, Executive Director of The Baddour Center, said. “Welcoming these residents into the church body is an awesome thing, and the residents always love being a part of our larger communi... Read More

“Whatever you do, do it as service to [God], and He will guarantee your success.” Proverbs 16:3 (VOICE) At the beginning of 2017, I selected the verse above and used Bible Gateway to read nearly every version available in order to determine which one I liked best before writing it on a bright colored paper and posting it on my office door. Certain words popped out to me for being simple yet powerful: whatever, service, guarantee, and success. I wanted to remember this entire year ... Read More

May ended a very busy spring! We had Track and Field and the Summer State games, which consisted of volleyball, tennis, swimming, and powerlifting. June is a time to slow down for us. Golf and bowling are the only sports we are playing this month. We bowl on Tuesday and golf on Wednesday and Thursday. Our June golf tournament is scheduled to be held at Glen Eagle in Millington on June 26. We have two athletes going to the National Golf Tournament in Seattle, Washington. Jeremiah Doane and Eri... Read More

Our new Director of Advancement shared yesterday this piece of information about Volunteerism… Helping others kindles happiness, as many studies have demonstrated. When researchers at the London School of Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness in a large group of American adults, they found the more people volunteered, the happier they were, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine. Compared with people who never volunteered, the ... Read More

The month of February is widely considered by some to be the month of “love”, so what better time to blog about all of the many reasons myself and others love The Baddour Center? It is quite an easy topic for someone who has spent the better part of her life living and loving all things Baddour!  While the word “love” can be defined in so many different ways, it has always been clear to me that love is a never ending story of an open book and experiences. With th... Read More

Our Baddour Center Leadership Team sat at a conference table in the fall of 2008, deliberating the pros and cons of hosting the local Upward Basketball Program on campus in our gym.  Is the gym available?  Should we charge the churches and participants a fee?  Can and will residents attend the games?  Are we equipped to handle that many visitors?  More importantly, what good does this do Baddour?  What’s the liability to Baddour?  And so on.  Last... Read More

Dear Friends, The 2016 chapter in Baddour Center history is closed; and, looking back, we experienced many highlights.  Among the many include: Welcoming 4 new directors to our Senior Leadership Team. Jennie Lou Pryor – Director of Health Services April Caccavano – Director Residential Services Richie Ayers – Director of Physical Plant Kristin Goode – Director of Education and Behavior Supports YOUR Summer Program reaching capacity in Year 2.&nb... Read More

I feel like a school-age child all over again. In April of this year, I started wishing that the sweet freedom of summertime would hurry up and get here. I was checking my mailbox every single day to see if a new Summer Program application was in there, ordering this and that to make sure we had enough supplies, and having planning meetings with fellow co-workers who would reassure me that summer was just around the corner. Just as they said, summer did arrive in all of its heat and haste. No... Read More

Today, almost everyone knows someone who has a diagnosis of Autism.  For parents, teachers, and human service providers, knowing this about a person is an important first step in understanding how to meet his or her needs.  However, “Autism” is not a thing.  It is just a label, and it applies to a wide spectrum of characteristics that look different from person to person.  At one end of this spectrum, the diagnosis describes people who may have average to abov... Read More

Hi, I am Jodie Ross, the board certified music therapist at The Baddour Center. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Music from Mississippi University for Women in 2010. I completed my six-month internship at The Baddour Center and have been here ever since! At Baddour, I am mostly seen directing the Wonder Player productions or the creative movement group, Hearts in Motion, but my main job duty is to provide music therapy services to the residents of Baddour.  Have you ever heard of ... Read More

The Baddour Center is hosting its second YOUR Summer Program in 2016. You’re probably wondering what YOUR stands for: Your Opportunity for a Unique Respite. At The Baddour Center, we believe every person whom we serve should live a safe and fulfilling life, and that life includes the participants (ages 16-35) who join us for a week of respite in the sweet summertime!      Week 1…June 5-10, 2016 (female participants)   Week 2…June 19-24, 2016 (male parti... Read More

We aim to accomplish three things with this post.    First, we want to formally recognize and thank 17 Baddour Center employees whom were recognized late last week during our annual Employee Recognition Service.  These employees include:  Bonnie Alexander and Zach Shackleford – 5 years; Venois Boyce, Julie Hanks, Earlene Holts, Regina Hudson, Constance Reed, Lacey Thornton, Henry Till, Cindy Trainum, and Linette Walters – 10 years; Rosie Bland – 15 years... Read More

I’ve held onto this post longer than I should.  In the last post, we spoke of our annual Homecoming and Family Weekend.  At the end, I commented that Homecoming is my favorite Baddour Center event and indicated that I would share more soon about why that is.   It is because nowhere else will you find a “spirit tree.”  In keeping with our Mardi Gras-style Homecoming theme, we used a bucket truck to decorate, hanging beads and masquerade masks all ove... Read More

Hello Friends.  I see our last blog post is dated July 2.  Guess that means we’ll have to pick up our game.  I advise you to not correlate blog activity and Baddour Center activity.  As little as there is of the former, there is plenty of the latter.   So, let’s talk about an upcoming activity.    This weekend (October 30 – November 1), Baddour is hosting its 2nd Annual Homecoming and Family Weekend.  We’ve actually hosted t... Read More

What should you be seeking when considering a home for your loved one?  The same things we all want, right?  We can read your mind…a BIG television, granite countertops, and comfortable couch or chair, possibly a small garden in the back, among other things.  Let’s face it…some of you might find these particular things appealing; others, not so much.   It’s not reasonable to expect everyone in a home to like or want the same stuff.  The ... Read More

The Baddour Center is a model residential community for adults with intellectual disabilities located in Senatobia, Miss. just 35 miles south of Memphis, Tenn. Located on 120 acres of rolling countryside, the center offers specialized services and programs that promote intellectual, physical, social, emotional, vocational and spiritual growth to 170 residents and day clients. On-campus residential options range from supervised living in one of the 14 group homes to shared independent living i... Read More