FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo will be able to greatly enhance its counseling services to students, faculty and staff after opening the new Grainger Family Center for Personal Development during a Jan. 6 ceremony.

The center occupies the newly renovated Puryear House off Middle Street on the UM campus, and increases counseling service space by 85 percent. The flexibility of the building’s design will allow Counseling Services to grow and adapt as student needs change in the future.

In addition to Counseling Services, the new center will house the Falcon Food Pantry and Student Emergency Assistance programs.

Generous support from donors, especially Michael and Donna Grainger, made the new space possible.

“Counseling Services moving to the Grainger Family Center for Personal Development provides a confidential and private, but still easily accessible, location that will allow us to better provide confidential services to the students, faculty and staff we serve,” said UM Director of Counseling Services Josh Miller. “The increased space at the Grainger Family Center for Personal Development allows Counseling Services to increase more hours of direct care, offer self-directed therapeutic activities, have a dedicated space to meet with families and groups and increase the number of hours that students can access the Falcon Food Pantry.”

The new space will allow the addition of 80 hours per week of direct clinical care, and each clinical staff member will have a private area to meet with clients. New biofeedback rooms will allow for an additional 90 hours per week of self-directed therapeutic activities.

Previously, the Falcon Food Pantry was only available by appointment, but the new space will allow it to be accessible for 45 hours per week.

The center is the result of UM’s student leaders working with the University’s leadership to provide a larger, more comprehensive facility to serve student needs now and in the future.

“Without the Grainger family, we would not be able to open this new facility today. So, from the bottom of my heart, and from the hearts of everyone who will be served by this facility, thank you so much,” said UM senior and SGA President Olivia Eldridge. “This will have a lasting impact on so many students’ lives both now and in the future.”

Mike Grainger said the center will play a major role in ensuring UM students, faculty and staff have access to all the resources they need to be successful.

“The University’s goal is to graduate a complete, well-rounded person, and this is a part of that,” Grainger said. “It’s so important that you take advantage of the services that are available to you here at the University of Montevallo.”