History
1958
The Service Guild of Birmingham was founded by Mrs. Lawrence S. Barker, Jr. The Service Guild provided volunteer services for the mentally challenged through the Alice Pigman Center, programs in public schools, and other community programs.
May of 1984
Betty Bell, known for her excellent reputation in working with children with special needs, joined forces with The Service Guild of Birmingham to work to improve the quality of life for children with special needs and their families. The Service Guild accepted the Early Intervention Program as its only project for both volunteer and financial support. Thus, the Early Intervention Program was born.
September of 1984
The Service Guild was able to establish the new Early Intervention Program in a Sunday school room at Trinity United Methodist Church with 13 children, ages infant to three years.
1984 - 1986
The program at Trinity United Methodist Church grew to 30 children, and the Service Guild provided 140 volunteers. A speech and physical therapist was hired to provide additional developmental support to the children. In addition to holding various fundraisers, The Service Guild began to write grants and was able to secure much of its funding in this manner. The Service Guild held its first Guild Gala at the Carraway Convention Center in October 1986.
1994
The Service Guild, through the efforts of Margaret Rogers, bought the building in Homewood that currently houses The Early Intervention Program.
Summer of 2000
The Service Guild renovated the building to accommodate a new classroom that would house the four-day-a-week toddler program that began that fall.
2002
The Early Intervention Program was officially renamed The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in honor of Betty Bell.
Today
What began as a vision or a dream is now a thriving reality. The Bell Center serves more than 90 children, ranging from birth to three years of age. We have a wonderful staff, whose participation and commitment sustains the day-to-day operations, and more than 200 dedicated volunteers who serve thousands of hours to enrich the lives of these deserving children.