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A $50,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation has allowed the center to hire multiple part-time speech-language pathologists dedicated to treating children with feeding and swallowing disorders.

According to Sarah Clemins, director of clinical education and a board member for the Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation, the Marshall Speech and Hearing Center has over 150 individual clients who are treated for speech and language difficulties, feeding and swallowing disorders.

For the past 20 years, Clemins said the Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation has been affiliated with the center, covering speech therapy services for children receiving care who are not covered by insurance, primarily through fundraising.

The Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation�����Ƶ�s Development Director Amie Aya-Ay applied for grants that were fulfilled by Doctor�����Ƶ�s Care and the Benedum Foundation.

Clemins said, before the grant from Doctor�����Ƶ�s Care, �����Ƶ�We had so many kids waiting on feeding services. They were waiting over a year for therapy services.�����Ƶ�

�����Ƶ�And so with the groups, we were able to get more kids seen at one time. The kids got to meet other kids who had feeding challenges. Parents got to meet other parents whose kids had feeding challenges. We were able to get more kids off of the waitlist,�����Ƶ� she said.

According to the Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation, feeding difficulties can impact a child�����Ƶ�s nutrition, growth and well-being. But the group-based therapy can offer those children a �����Ƶ�structured and supportive�����Ƶ� environment in which to improve their feeding skills.

Clemins said the grant from Doctor�����Ƶ�s Care also allowed the center to restart its multidisciplinary feeding clinic so kids may be assessed by several different professionals at once.

For example, the Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation said the multidisciplinary clinic allows specialists including speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and dieticians to collaborate in assessing feeding disorders in children.

Clemins said, although the grant from Doctor�����Ƶ�s Care accomplished a lot in the way of providing services to kids in need, many were still on the waitlist. So the Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation reached out to the Benedum Foundation to hire part-time speech-language pathologists.

�����Ƶ�Now we have eliminated our waitlist. We have no more kids waiting on a feeding now. We still have a waitlist for speech and language services, but we were able to eliminate our pediatric feeding waitlist, and all kids are now in intervention. So it�����Ƶ�s a big deal,�����Ƶ� Clemins said.

Clemins said the whole mission of the Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation is helping children to receive speech therapy services, regardless of their ability to pay. A more recent need, she said, is that while children may be insured, they could have high deductibles, leading the foundation to start a Deductible �����Ƶsistance Program.

�����Ƶ�There�����Ƶ�s a lot of kids out there that need speech therapy services or pediatric feeding services that would not be able to receive any type of intervention without the help of the Huntington Scottish Rite,�����Ƶ� she said.

The Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation will have its annual fundraising dinner at 6 p.m. April 12 in St. Mary�����Ƶ�s Conference Center to benefit the RiteCare Clinic at the Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center.

At 6 p.m., there will be an open bar reception with a silent auction, and dinner will begin at 7 p.m. All corporate sponsors will receive a table with eight tickets.

Those wishing to become a sponsor, donate an item for the silent auction or looking for more information may contact Amie Aya-ay at amieaya@scottishritehuntington.org or call 681-385-1912.