All for the Children – Betty Bell’s lifelong commitment to children and their families
A native of Corsicana, Texas, Betty knew at an early age that she wanted to be able to help people and nursing was a calling she felt deeply. After graduating from the local junior college, Betty enrolled at the University of Texas and received her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Leaving her beloved Texas behind, Betty went on to the University of Florida where she received a master’s degree in developmental nursing.
Armed with her degrees in nursing, Betty went to Miami to serve as acting director of the nursing division of the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami. While in Miami, Betty grew interested in working with children with special needs and began numerous post graduate studies in the care of children with special needs at the University of Washington.
In 1970 Betty received a call from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). UAB was interested in bringing the concept of early intervention to Birmingham with the help of a federal grant and knew that Betty was the best person to do the job. She accepted the offer and became the director for the Center for Developmental and Learning Disorders (CDLD), the program that she ran for 11 years until the loss of federal grant monies forced UAB to close the program.
But when the program closed, families of children who had been served knew there was a need for these kinds of services to continue. At the same time, The Service Guild of Birmingham, a women’s volunteer organization committed to serving children and adults with mental challenges, was searching for a new focus. And one of its members, a young woman who had a child with significant physical and mental challenges and who had received services from Betty Bell at CDLD told others in The Service Guild she knew exactly what the group should choose as its new focus: early intervention. And, she said she knew exactly the woman to do it.
Betty remembers getting the phone call. “This nice lady called and said she was with The Service Guild of Birmingham,” Betty said. “They were interested in starting an early intervention program and wanted to meet with me to talk over a few questions they had.”
Betty met with the women the next night. They asked questions about how to structure a program, how to run it, and what kinds of services to offer. And before they left, they asked Betty to help them establish the program.
Just six months later, The Service Guild’s Early Intervention Program opened. Betty served five children that year in a borrowed Sunday school classroom at Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood. The next year, they added some part-time physical therapy and after that added some party-time speech therapy. All the while, the program added children. Soon, the program outgrew one room and the church offered use of another room. When more space was added, more children came and when more children came, there was need for more space. And in 1994, The Service Guild purchased the building in Homewood which serves as the current location of the program.
In April 2002, the Homewood facility was remanmed The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in honor of Betty’s lifelong commitment to children with special needs. Betty remains program director of The Bell Center which serves more than 100 children with special needs.
The Service Guild Timeline
1958 - The Service Guild of Birmingham (SG) was established by Mrs. Lawrence S. Barker, Jr.
1958-1984 – The Service Guild provided volunteer services for the mentally challenged through the Alice Pigman Center, programs in public schools, and other community programs. By 1984, more than 15 programs were being serviced by Service Guild volunteers. These efforts were supported by various fundraisers, such as cookbook sales and donations from individuals and organizations.
1977-1984 – Public schools began providing many of the services that had been provided by the Service Guild since its inception. Members of The Service Guild began to feel that they were no longer providing a unique resource in the Birmingham community.
April of 1984 – A member whose child had received early intervention services from Betty Bell suggested that the Guild talk with Betty about helping them establish a program. It was then that The Service Guild identified early intervention as a focus around which the Guild could rally its members. For the next several months, the Guild took the necessary steps to legally secure their new goal. Despite the many obstacles encountered, the difficulties faced and the many people who said that it couldn’t be done, The Service Guild’s Early Intervention Program was born.
September of 1984 – The Guild established the new program in a small Sunday school room at Trinity United Methodist Church where Betty began working with 5 children, ages infant to three years. The Early Intervention Program (EIP) started with one class and began to grow quickly. Although the Service Guild had always been highly successful in its fundraising activities in the past, it soon realized that more fundraising was needed to support the expanding needs of the program.
1984-1986 – The program grew to 30 children and the Guild provided 140 volunteers. The program was still housed at Trinity UMC, but in a larger space. By now, speech and physical therapists had been hired to provide additional developmental support to the children. The Service Guild held various fundraisers to raise money for the growing needs of the program. To help meet the ever-increasing monetary needs of the program, the Service Guild began writing grants and was able to secure much of their funding through this venue.
January of 1986 – The first EIP Parent’s Support Group began to help parents learn more about developmental delays, treatment and education methods. This group also provided a place for them to connect with other parents with similar needs.
1986 - In October, the Service Guild held its first Guild Gala. It was a dinner, dance and live auction held at the Carraway Convention Center. Also this year, a part-time physical therapist and a part-time nutritionist were added to the staff of the program.
1994 – The Service Guild bought the building that currently houses The Bell Center for programming and office use.
1996-1997 - The Service Guild and several parents organized a group to begin investigating the possibility of expanding the services of the EIP and the potential of generating substantial funds to secure the future of the program. This led to a strategic planning session attended by Guild members, parents and community leaders in which the mission of the organization was defined. The mission became to maximize the potential of children from birth to three years of age who are at risk for developmental delay.
1997-1998 – As a result of a parent-led Christmas 1996 poinsettia sale, EIP was able to add part-time occupational therapy. Under Service Guild leadership, the Guild and the program acquired a state sales tax exemption status. Many local and state political figures rallied behind the organization to accomplish the goal. The playground also became a reality during this year and was dedicated and opened for use by the children. Every piece of equipment on the playground was donated in honor of or in memory of one of the children in the program.
1998-1999 – After a year of planning, the first capital campaign was launched which would enable The Service Guild to create an endowment for the program, expand services and pay off the mortgage on the building.
1999 – The first administrative add to staff was completed in order to manage the capital campaign and to alleviate the growing administrative demands.
2000 – The building was renovated to add a classroom for a new 4-day program for the toddlers, and additional staff was hired to run this classroom. The program sought classification as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization , and articles of incorporation and by-laws were drafted for the program. A separate governing board of directors was established for the center with both Service Guild and community leaders.
2002 – The program was renamed The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in honor of long-time program director Betty Bell. The High Risk Infant Therapy room was developed to safely serve very young and medically fragile infants.
2003 – The Bell Center expanded its programs to include a feeding clinic twice a month.
2004 – Due in large part to the efforts of The Service Guild, realizing the tremendous benefit to the children attending the four-day toddler class and recognizing the increasing demand for more programs for toddlers, The Bell Center opened a second four-day class in the afternoon.
2006 - As enrollment tops 100 children, The Bell Center reorganizes staff into transdisciplinary teams with an early childhood special educator, physical therapist, occupational therapist and speech/language pathologist on each team. Staff is added in order to complete three full-time teams. Also, services provided to infants and toddlers are reorganized into differing programs.
Bright Beginnings – one-on-one services to infant
Little Leaps – group setting for older infants transitioning to toddler programs
All About Me – group classes, either two- or four-days a week for toddlers featuring one-on-one services provided by Service Guild volunteers
My Friends – group class for children with sensory, language and social challenges
Summer programs are also restructured to include a parent or caregiver as the provider of one-on-one services to their child. The new approach is called Learn to Learn.
2007 - A new program called Explore Every Day is developed for toddlers to participate in center-based activities that are designed to promote independence in a structured therapeutic environment. Also, the board of The Bell Center approves purchase of land at Liberty Park for the construction of a new facility to house Bell Center programs and The Service Guild office.
2008-2009 – The Service Guild of Birmingham celebrated 50 years of serving individuals with special needs. Through a consistent partnership, The Service Guild and The Bell Center were able to serve over 110 children through our early intervention programs. Additionally, the Guild raised over $258,000 to contribute to the operating expenses of The Bell Center.
The Service Guild of Birmingham that began in 1958 with 53 charter members and the single desire to make a difference has evolved into a volunteer organization whose mission is to provide active and committed members dedicated to fundraising and to assisting children at risk for developmental delay while maximizing their potential through a one-to-one therapeutic approach. Service Guild members are dedicated to providing funding and volunteer services to these children through a lifetime partnership with The Bell Center.