NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — There is a new resource for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities on the Peninsula.
Beyond Excellence, LLC is an innovative and interactive adult day support program at 766 J Clyde Morris Blvd in Newport News.
Cecilia Terrones, the chief executive officer, called the new facility a dream come true.
“When I opened this agency 11 years ago, this was my dream,” Terrones said. “It takes money. It takes a lot of investment, and I needed to find the right team. We can say, finally, we got the right team. Everybody who is working here, works with love, with a lot of involvement with these individuals.”
Terrones, a native of Peru, moved here through political asylum in 1990.
“My family, my husband and I, we came here with four kids,” Terrones said. “We were asking for political asylum because my husband is an engineer. We were blessed to have the political asylum, granted. If we could do it with four kids, anybody can do it. That’s my encouragement to people who come to this country, that they need to do well and keep progressing. I have the responsibility to teach my four kids that we don’t come here just to lay down. We come here to help this country to make it better.”
Beyond Excellence offers a new look and feel for adult day centers, with rooms for clients to play games, sports, sing, get creative or relax in the sensory room.
“We offer something fresh, something different and unique,” said Betsy Sanchez, Beyond Excellence office manager, “something that I have never seen individuals do in other day centers, whether it be, perform in a theater, have a Zumba class, a dance off, have an individual DJ, a party. Cecilia wanted it to be just more they’re capable of more. That’s the goal. You get them to do more so that they can feel that they are just an important part of society.”
The facility runs every day, even on holidays. Now facility directors are hopeful state leaders will help with more policies to fund daily organizations like this.
“We need more resources. They need to understand that we have programs like we have,” Terrones said. “We work 365 days. Sometimes they only pay us only 344 days. We don’t tell the individuals we’re closing the home for 21 days. We have to absorb that.”
The hope is to lead a change for adult day centers.
“I don’t want to come and see them in one place and do nothing all day long and go back home,” Terrones said. “No, I want them to come and have fun because I like to have fun with them.”
Learn more about Beyond Excellence here.
