Russell Nesbitt Services in Wheeling recently received a generous donation from Christ United Methodist Church to be used for seed money in its fundraising effort to bring needed upgrades to the Fulton facility's elevator. In front, from left, are Mary Francis Eaves, Amber Bowser, Harvey Michael Spencer and David Sisler. In back, from left, are Pastor Joe Hill, Skylar Marks, Russell Nesbitt Services Executive Director Tamika Jones, and church Mission Team Chairman Gary Bryant. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

WHEELING – Participants in activities by Russell Nesbitt Services in Wheeling recently received uplifting support from the congregation at the local Christ United Methodist Church.

Russell Nesbitt provides services to adults and children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and its administrative headquarters located at 431 Fulton St. in Wheeling has been a home base for a variety of activities for decades – including Day Treatment services for adult participants.

Because of the age of the three-story facility, a number of areas in the building are due for updates – including the elevator.

“The elevator is reaching the age where it’s going to start needing lots of repairs,” said Tamika Jones, executive director of Russell Nesbitt Services. “We’re starting to age out of a lot of things, so we’re going to probably be doing lots of fundraising throughout the next five years to deal with maintenance.”

Estimates for a complete update of the old elevator ring in at around $47,000. A two-phase rehab of the elevator is planned, with the estimated cost of the first, more critical upgrade totaling just under $30,000. A second phase of upgrades will assure a long-term life of the lift, but is expected to cost nearly $20,000 more.

Jones explained that about 85 percent of Russell Nesbitt’s funding goes toward staffing support. It’s a combination of state and federal funding through the Title XIX Waiver Program. All other funding comes by way of donations, fundraisers or grants.

The elevator at the Fulton facility provides access to all three floors. The upper floor houses administration and meeting rooms. The second floor is the Day Center and the first floor houses a center where peer support groups gather for community based meetings.

“This elevator is a vital link for the agency’s Day Treatment participants, as essential services and social activities are located on the building’s second floor,” Jones noted. “Without a functioning elevator, many individuals with mobility challenges face barriers to the care and community support they rely on daily.”

Word got out about Russell Nesbitt’s need to update its elevator, and kind neighbors down National Road decided to step forward to help the cause.

“Christ United Methodist Church generously gave us seed money so we can start the process of getting our elevator repaired,” Jones said. “That elevator is probably used 200-300 times a day. It is critical.”

Pastor Joe Hill of Christ UMC said the congregation’s financial participation goes beyond paying for utilities and for their own church facility.

“It’s meant to have a life-giving impact on the community,” Hill said, noting that it was an easy decision when it came to supporting this project. “The church council didn’t bat an eye – they were all about it. We’ve been blessed to have some funds available so when those kinds of things come available to us, that means God wants us to do some kind of good work. When good work opportunities come our way, we’re grateful to have a chance to put it to work.”

Gary Bryant, chairman of Christ UMC’s Mission Team, said they were confident that the donation of a significant amount of seed money for this project will help Russell Nesbitt continue to provide vital services at its facility for area participants who truly need it.

“The work that goes on here is so unique and meaningful to families who have members with disabilities that come here,” Bryant said.

Russell Nesbitt’s second floor Day Treatment program for adults teaches several different skills to participants, including math and word skills, cleaning, personal care, cooking, and other activities.

“These folks here have a very structured program. They learn life skills,” Jones said. “We’re very lucky that we have long-tenured staff here, and we have participants who have been with us for 30-plus years.”

The peer support group program is also a vital service provided at the facility.

“That is a free community gathering that we do every Wednesday,” Jones explained. “Mostly we serve private families who have family members with disabilities. A lot of time, those folks are really isolated – both the parents and their children. Our peer support program is an opportunity to get together, to socialize and to do different things. We offer that program free of charge – it’s all donation funded.”

The agency provides everything from in-home services to vocational support services, residential services, waste management, behavioral support, nursing and more.

“We pretty much provide the gamut of services for adults and children with disabilities,” Jones said. “Most of the children we serve we serve them at home – in their homes with their families. Adults we serve here in our Day Center and at our vocational center down at the WATCH building on Main Street. We provide support and employment services for folks with any type of disability, as well.”

Residential services are provided for adults ages 18 and above, Jones added.

Russell Nesbitt Services has been in existence since 1958. It started out as a school in the old Civil Defense Building just down the road at 519 Fulton St.

“A group of parents got together – Russell G. Nesbitt and some other parents – and pitched in money to start a school, because at that point, there was no such thing as ADA or special education,” Jones explained. “Those families wanted their children to be educated, and that’s how it all got started. And we just grew out of need.”

The current location also previously functioned as a school before the agency moved there.

“This used to be the old Fulton School,” Jones said, noting that the elevator, stairs and other parts of the facility’s newest (and now aging) addition were built onto the facility. “When Russell Nesbitt acquired the school, all of these features were put in place.”

Although the elevator upgrades are a priority, there are plenty of other improvements that also need to be made in the near future, as well, Jones noted.

“We have lots of things we have to fix,” she said. “As the agency moves through 2026, Russell Nesbitt Services is actively fundraising to address multiple outstanding repairs across its properties.”

By securing external funding for building maintenance, the agency can keep its primary operational budget focused on where it matters most – direct client care, vocational training and residential support.

Community members and organizations interested in supporting the 2026 repair fund can make contributions directly to Russell Nesbitt Services – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations help ensure that the agency can continue to provide premier disability services in a safe, accessible and high-quality environment for all who need it.

Jones noted that Russell Nesbitt Services will be hosting a golf scramble fundraiser on May 2, and some other events are expected to be held in the coming months, as well. Check out the agency’s official Facebook page and Instagram account for the latest information, or visit the website at www.rns-watch.org.