The Blanton Place for Encouragement

This weekend was such a wonderful occasion for our family. After many years of hard work by The High Plains Children's Center, The Blanton Place for Encouragement was officially opened.

While I was finishing ACU some very dear friends of Nana and Grandy's presented the idea for an activity center to be built in their honor at the High Plains Children's Home in Amarillo. Grandy along with some other elders were on the board that started the home in the 1967. 

Several years ago during a celebration weekend in Amarillo for Grandy's birthday the family all toured the campus and saw the pasture that would one day become this great building. It was said many times this weekend that although Grandy did not know exactly what the building would become he knew it would be incredible.

Last year those of us who could came out for the ground breaking on the plot of land and almost a year exactly this weekend was the official "Open House." In my mind I wasn't picturing anything as beautiful as the building that would be referred to lovingly as "The Blanton."

A stone facade, water sculpture, wood beams in a vaulted ceiling and massive flat screen TVs all in a place proudly blaring my Grandparent's names. This place is gorgeous, humble and every bit a wonderful representation of them. 

Nana, Mom, Aunt Tammy, Aunt Cindy, Patrick, Neeley, Lane, Erich & Ginna, Nicholas & Gaylen with their kids and Drew and I all were on hand to greet all the people whose lives were touched by Nana and Grandy and the Children's home. Bob & Jo Wilburn who gave money to start the building came in for the celebration. Nana looked beautiful and beamed as precious memories of Grandy were spoken.  

This part of the Children's Home is the home to special needs adults who live in cottages surrounding The Blanton and will use the building as a center to fellowship with one another. It was named the place of encouragement because one of the most commonly used words to describe Nana and Grandy was the encouragement for others in everything they did.

I could not be prouder to have Blanton in my blood and this weekend was no exception. 

Below is the article the Amarillo Globe News printed on the front page of the today section about the event.

High Plains Children’s Home and Family Services on Saturday dedicated and opened the new 6,000-square-foot Blanton Place for Encouragement.

“The Blanton Place for Encouragement is an activity center or community center for our adults with special needs who live in Pa and Megan’s Place,” said Craig Howard, executive director of High Plains Children’s Home and Family Services. “This is an independent living community for adults with special needs which is a part of High Plains home.”

The Blanton Place will feel more like a student union on a college campus, Howard said.

“They’ll come over here, play games, hang out and develop their social skills,” he said. “It’s just a beautiful place.”

the facility was named in honor of Dr. Everett and Peggy Blanton for their long-standing history with the children’s home.

Peggy Blanton said she never imagined it would turn out like this.

“My husband and I were in the original group that started the children’s home,” she said. “We were excited to build old cottages for the foster kids but I never envisioned that we would have a building like this.”

Everett Blanton, who died of cancer in 2010, was able to see the site that would become the Blanton Place, Peggy Blanton said.

“It was just nothing but brown dirt out here,” she said. “It blows my mind to think if he could just walk in here and see it now. I was overwhelmed and emotional with just the bare walls up.”

Established in 1967 by the Church of Christ, the High Plains Children’s Home is a Texas chartered nonprofit organization that aims “to establish, maintain, endow and operate a home for children and adults with special needs who are orphaned, neglected, abused, dependent, underprivileged or otherwise taken advantage of.” according to the children’s home information.

Kevin Logan, director of adults with special needs, said the Blanton Place will provide a safe place for its residents to socialize and visit.

“Because of the social disability a lot of them do have, this gives them a secure place to socialize with others like them because it’s hard to do so with others that do not have a disability,” Logan said. “They just don’t make friends with them very well and this gives them a place that will help them feel more independent.”

The Blanton Place will also be open and available to the community, Howard said.

“People from the community can also come out and use the facility for special events as well,” he said.