Beyond Disabilities: The STAR Center's Approach to Realizing Potential

Episode 43: Pocket Change Podcast

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Shea:

Hey, this is Shea.

Carrie:

And this is Carrie.

Shea:

Welcome to the Pocket Change podcast.

Carrie:

Where you'll learn better ways to spend, save, and invest, and take control of your financial journey.

Carrie:

Look what I've got.

Shea:

What is this? I think I can see myself in those mirrors.

Carrie:

I can see myself, too. This is exciting to have the Dancing with the Stars Trophy with us today, and we're excited about our guest and being able to talk about some upcoming events. That's going to be fun.

Shea:

Best events in Jackson, coming up soon.

Carrie:

We're excited to welcome our guest today, Dr. Jennifer Graves, President of the STAR Center here in Jackson. Welcome to Pocket Change. Jennifer, how are you today?

Jennifer Graves:

I'm great. Thank you so much for having me.

Carrie:

Well, good. We're so happy to have you with us today. For those of our listeners who don't know about the STAR Center, can you give us a little history of how it got started?

Jennifer Graves:

Of course. The STAR Center was begun in 1988 by Chuck and Margaret Doumitt, Senior. The Doumitt family has five kids, and George and Angela, they had something called Batten's's disease. In Batten's's disease, you lose your sight, you lose some of your cognitive abilities, you lose your ability to function in a normal way. Now, think about it. It was 1988, so it was rural West Tennessee. They went all over the country trying to find some place that would have the tools that would help their kids because there was no cure for Batten's's disease. There still isn't a cure, but they found this one place in California, and it was an assistive technology center. Nothing like that existed, not only not in Tennessee, but in the whole south. So Chuck and Margaret Doumitt did what a lot of parents would do. They started their own. It started in the basement of an elementary school. Then it went to Lambuth College as it had begun to expand. Now, you have to remember, this was in the days when computers were just starting. Imagine those big, bulky Apple computers that were 500 pounds to move. They were purchasing that type of equipment and making it work to educate people who were struggling in school, to come up with the different programs that would be there.

Jennifer Graves:

Assistive technology is what we've been known for for 36 years now, and we're just so grateful to be here and to still be serving West Tennessee. One of my very favorite STAR Center stories is about two brothers, and these guys are amazing. They went through the Project Search program. For those who aren't familiar with Project Search, it's a partnership that started several years ago between the hospital, the school system, vocational rehabilitation, and the STAR Center. It has us going into the hospital, training people to do jobs. Then these are kids who have been struggling in school. They were in special education throughout. These brothers have been able to crush the no in a way no one expected. Their family wasn't really sure if they would ever be able to live independently. They were thinking, "okay, we're going to have to convert some space over the garage. They can live in the driveway at the garage apartment for the rest of their lives." Well, these two brothers were both hired by the hospital. They are now in supervisory roles. They have bought a home together, and they both bought new cars. When you stop and think about the dreams that a parent has for their child, those brothers have done it.

Carrie:

That's awesome.

Jennifer Graves:

They have achieved what no one thought they could do, and they are the best example of crushing the no.

Shea:

That's a great history and great story of the love of the parents and their children. We know that the STAR Center offers some assistive technology programs and assistance, but what other services does the STAR Center offer?

Jennifer Graves:

The STAR Center, our mission has always been to help any person with any disability to achieve their potential. So when you think about independence and achieving your potential, you first think of education, and then you automatically go to vocation. What ability does that individual have to hold a job or to work anywhere? So our goal is to find out what a person has interest in doing, and then what are they capable of doing. Once we find that out, and that may be through a vocational evaluation, it may be that they already know some of the things that they're interested in doing. It may be that we are doing some educational training for them. So finding them a job is a job developer's role. We also have job coaches. We have folks who are working to make sure they know how to get to and from work. Do you have that ability? Do we need to arrange a service for you? We teach them how to use their phones, their iPhone or their Android phones, so that they will know exactly how to do things and have it right there in the palm of their hands.

Jennifer Graves:

Assistive technology is a lot more than that. Assistive technology could be something as simple as a pencil grip or a special ink pen that they're able to hold in a much more comfortable way, but it can be as complicated as computer programs that read things out loud to them. We also have a grant called Agroability through the State of Tennessee and the federal government. One of the cool things that we recently were a part of, and I get excited about stuff like this so if I talk too fast, you all just tell me, but this farmer had lost his ability to get in and out of his combine. So we use the Agroability folks to help us get him a lift that would actually lift him up and put him in his combine because he was no longer able to crawl in and out of it. That's just one story of some of the things we do. We also have a reading clinic for young students who are struggling with pre-reading skills or reading skills up through sixth grade. We have music therapy, we have speech therapy, we have art classes, we have a pre-ETs program that's pre-employment skills.

Jennifer Graves:

We have home care, which is something that a lot of folks don't know we have. Home care is really the largest division in the STAR Center. So we're very blessed to be able to serve individuals from birth all the way up through 100 years old.

Shea:

Wow. It's not just kids. It's adults, children, all age ranges.

Carrie:

It is great. I really love all that you just shared about your mission, but what does it mean to you?

Jennifer Graves:

Oh, wow. My whole life has been dedicated to serving individuals with disabilities. We can go all the way back to a little girl when my grandmother was in a wheelchair. I learned very quickly from her that just because you don't walk the same way everyone else does, doesn't mean you can't achieve your goals. She was the first person I knew that crushed the no. Think about this for a minute. She had eight kids. No one had store-bought clothes until their high school graduation, and she taught school. So I think about those things, and I remember seeing her out in the garden just scooting herself along as she did things. She was the most capable woman I'd ever met in my life. That's what really set me on that journey of helping people with disabilities. In high school, I worked in the Special Ed Department as a volunteer, working with young people, whether it was learning how to read or learning how to do their basic math functions. It's just been a part of me for as long as I can remember. At the STAR Center, when I saw that the tagline was crushed the no, that excited me because I hate it when people say, "Well, you can't do that," or, "Yeah, I don't know that's different, that's out there." Don't say that about people. Give them a chance. Let them prove themselves. It's going to go one way or the other, and if they're successful, you're successful. So let's try it.

Shea:

That's fun that you get to say yes for a living.

Jennifer Graves:

I do.

Shea:

You crush the no. It brought up a thought I had. You mentioned your grandmother or your relative. I had a relative in my family had polio when she was a child and lived into her 90s, but had assistive technologies where she drove with hand pedals instead of using her feet to use the pedals because her feet and her legs had some remnants of having that. So you think about things like that. Probably many of our families, we've had examples of that where people have used these services and things like the STAR Center provides to be able to just do their daily tasks, live their daily lives. So it's really important work that's being done. So how many families has the STAR Center served over the years or in the past year?

Jennifer Graves:

In the past year, we've served almost 4,000. I believe it's right at a little over 3,900, but if you think about how it started with a parents' need to help their two kids, and then you multiply that times thousands every year. Margaret Doumitt and her husband did so much for West Tennessee. They were able to impact the lives of literally thousands upon thousands of people. When you think about that, that's pretty aw-inspiring.

Carrie:

Like Shea, I also have a grandmother who had polio growing up, and she went on to be a nurse. So I understand the necessity of having the STAR Center, and thank you all for what you do. So let's shift gears just a little bit. So there's a big event coming up this month.

Carrie:

There is.

Carrie:

And it's called Dancing with the Stars, as most of us have heard about. So tell us a little bit about what we should expect this year and how that got started.

Jennifer Graves:

This is our ninth year to do Dancing with the Stars. The very first year, it was actually in the downstairs portion of the STAR Center. Two years later, it moved to the Country Club, and then after that, it's been at the Jackson Fairgrounds, but this year, we're doing something a little different. I think the people of West Tennessee should be really excited to come in and see what we're doing at the Civic Center on Thursday night, October 24th. It's going to be a great night with lots of familiar faces, lots of talented people that are coming in. It's just going to be... I think the level of fun will be even higher than it's been in the past.

Carrie:

Looking forward to it.

Shea:

Can't wait to see all the dancers, and they can vote for our favorite online, too.

Jennifer Graves:

You sure can.

Shea:

So don't forget that.

Jennifer Graves:

Right now there's fundraising going on even as we speak. The individual dancers are trying to raise money to support the STAR Center. A lot of folks don't realize that we have to raise almost a million dollars a year for our doors to stay open. It's only through events like dancing with the Stars, Black Tie and Boxing, or the Flint Cox golf tournament that help us actually get there to do it. We count on the people of West Tennessee to support us in our endeavors because there will come a time in each of our lives when you need one of our services. So we're grateful for their support. We're grateful for those who are able to come out, purchase a table. This year, we're actually adding a little different thing. There at the Civic Center, we have general admission tickets.

Shea:

All right.

Carrie:

That's exciting.

Jennifer Graves:

For the very first time, you'll be able to purchase a general admission ticket for $50 and come in, sit in the balcony, and watch the show. It's a really good show.

Shea:

Dancing with the Stars we can't wait for, October 24th. Then also, like you mentioned, Black Tie and Boxing. Coming up after that in January 25th. Is that right?

Jennifer Graves:

January 11th, 2025. Jackson's most unique and most sought-after event is coming back to town. So we're excited about that. If you've never been to Black Tie and Boxing, it is something to see.

Shea:

It is.

Jennifer Graves:

Imagine the formal dinner, the ladies in their evening gowns, Shea in a tux.

Shea:

Sight to see.

Jennifer Graves:

Eating that filet dinner that you mentioned, and guess what? You're watching boxing in the middle of the ring. So we try to make sure that sweat and blood doesn't get on anyone's food, but it's a really neat night. It is. It's quickly becoming our community's favorite event. We want to once again thank Leaders Credit Union for being the presenting sponsor of Dancing with the Stars and Black Tie and Boxing.

Carrie:

Well, we are a financial-related podcast, so I do have to ask, just out of curiosity, what's the best financial advice that you could give us or that you've been given before?

Jennifer Graves:

I really thought about that question. There's a man in Memphis by the name of Kyle Rote, and Kyle was a professional soccer player, and his kids went to Briarcrest, where I taught for a lot of years. Kyle gave my husband and I some advice that has been exceptionally helpful: the 80/20 rule. Live on 80% of the income that you earn, 10% goes to your savings account, and then 10% goes to your church. So you're tithing, you're saving, and you're living within your means. I highly advise young married couples, don't go the credit card route. Been there, done that, not good.

Shea:

Yes. Keep it within the 100%. That's a great piece of advice. Lastly, if you didn't have $100, but maybe just had some pocket change, since this is the Pocket Change podcast, what is What's the one thing you'd spend your pocket change on?

Jennifer Graves:

Ice cream.

Shea:

Perfect. Great answer.

Carrie:

It's always a great answer.

Jennifer Graves:

It's always a great answer.

Carrie:

What's your favorite ice cream?

Jennifer Graves:

I really, really just like chocolate ice cream with hot fudge sauce on it.

Carrie:

Sounds good.

Jennifer Graves:

It's one of those that you can't go wrong with.

Carrie:

Agreed. Well, we thank you so much for being with us today and sharing a little bit about the STAR Center and the events coming up.

Jennifer Graves:

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.