UCIP finds temporary facility in Meadville a week after destructive fire

Sep. 26--A new facility was secured for the United Community Independence Programs after a fire destroyed its long-time location in Vernon Township.

The organization signed a lease on a temporary location for its day services Wednesday at 313 South St. in Meadville, according to Executive Director Leanne Severo. UCIP provides more than 100 clients with a variety of disability services in Crawford, Clarion and Venango counties.

Severo also confirmed UCIP's facility on Cussewago Road, formerly Fredericksburg School, was deemed "a total loss" by its insurance company. The fire took place on Sept. 18 and required dozens of fire departments to put out. The building still had hot embers that had to be doused three days later.

The fire marshal had yet to disclose a cause of the blaze, Severo said, and that UCIP was already in the process of getting the building demolished.

UCIP's new location was a former daycare and adult daycare, said Severo, who was optimistic about the chances of it becoming licensable for future client care. For the moment, supervisory staff will move into the facility on Oct. 1, but the state would have to license the building for client services, which Severo estimated could take "a couple months."

Despite the fire and licensing hurdles, Severo noted UCIP was providing "100 percent" of its services through community-based social and life skills training in places like parks or movie theaters. She met with Crawford County Human Services, which assisted UCIP with the transition. Severo hoped the temporary facility would be licensed prior to the winter weather for clients to have a "home base."

Residential services, she added, are "operating as they always were." The Home Depot in Vernon Township donated the use of its parking lot as a place to keep UCIP's vehicle fleet used to meet with clients.

While the South Street space will be used to provide services, Severo said she was still looking for temporary office space. UCIP has been using a makeshift office of "canopies and tables" in the parking lot of the former structure, she said, and many staff members were working from home. Severo also said the Crawford County Mental Health Awareness Program (CHAPS) provided its conference room on an indefinite basis for UCIP to use.

Severo found support from local agencies, businesses and community members and said the Italian Civic Club reached out to her about hosting a spaghetti dinner for UCIP. The dinner is at 5 p.m. Nov. 14 at 869 Water St.

"That was a total surprise," Severo said.

She said those interested may mail monetary donations to the UCIP at P.O. Box 437, Meadville, PA 16335. For those who want to donate items, she recommended calling 336-4157.

"More than anything, I would like to thank the community for offering things and doing things for us," Severo said. "It's been overwhelming for us, very touching. I think people need to know what a great community we live in. It's been an outpouring."

Severo said she loved the building on Cussewago Road that housed UCIP and was there when they bought it from Crawford Central School District in 1986. The building had served as the main administrative location for the organization. She was unsure if the organization would rebuild in same spot or purchase a permanent location elsewhere.

"It's suited all our needs, but there were other things that we thought, 'I would love to have a space downtown for folks' or 'I would love to have a huge conference room for our training,'" Severo said. "Now, it gives us the opportunity. What are UCIP's dreams that we couldn't do? We're starting from scratch."

Tyler Dague can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at tdague@meadvilletribune.com.

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