Local “visionary” opens house of HOPe
Posted by Paula Kavolius on Mon, Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:39 AM
WALPOLE -
Paula Kavolius opened up her new Easton home to the public last Wednesday, but this isn’t a normal house – the Walpole native, rather, opened up the doors to her House of Possibilities.
Kavolius founded the House of Possibilities (HOPe) in 2003 to provide relief for caretakers of significantly challenged children and young adults by offering educational and athletic programs.
The House of Possibilities moved from a small office in a downtown Walpole building this summer to the sprawling 18,000 square foot facility on Stonehill College. Although she says she’ll never move from Walpole as a resident, this relocation is something she won’t look back on.
The house was completed in late June – the first of its kind on a college campus – with the opening in July.
Things were hectic then for Kavolius, she said, because construction has been delayed parents were more interested in getting kids into the home than in pomp and circumstance.
“I literary just threw together a grand opening just to open the doors,” Kavolius chuckled.
For her and for the parents of the special needs individuals she serves, Wednesday’s open house -- where the public could tour the home and meet staffers and volunteers – was the more important event.
“The grand opening was more like, ‘the doors are open,’” she said. “This was more like, ‘come see us.’”
Volunteers and a staff of four use the new home to host weekend special needs children ages 8-22 and offer weekday programs for adults over 22.
“It’s been sort of gangbusters,” Kavolius said, explaining the amount of children served has swelled to around 40 each weekend from five when the house first opened.
The day offerings are utilized regularly by four adults, said Kavolius, but they hope to serve up to 25 sometime in the near future.
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