Megan Burton (left) receives a special Christmas gift for Prestera residents from Tina McComas, club chair for community service projects.

December 8, 2009

Megan W. Burton, Director of Corporate Development for the Prestera Center for Mental Health Services, received a special grant today from Putnam Rotary.

Since the closing of Shawnee Hills in 2002, the non-profit organization has served the southwestern counties of the state working today out of some 50 locations.

"We write grants for just about everything. If we need chairs for a waiting room, we write a grant," Burton had told the group during a visit in October.

The grant today will fund a Christmas program for 37 residential clients of Prestera. "Two of our staff members were in tears when they heard the news. We don't have funding for things like this," Burton said.

"This will help provide a Christmas dinner, presents and holiday cards to send to family members," she told the group.

In addition to the adult services, which include assisted living, crisis counseling, hospitalization when required, psychiatric testing and homeless outreach, Prestera provides services for drug addiction and developmental disabilities. The developmental disability program, usually for persons under age 22, treats conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, retardation, spina bifida and brain injury.