Though Friendship Community Care Inc. still focuses on providing services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, its mission has expanded to include the elderly and preschool for at-risk children. Yet the nonprofit, founded in 1972, keeps its emphasis on excellence, earning a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International in 2008. Almost 100 nonprofits in Arkansas provide services to the developmentally disabled, but only seven had achieved CARF accreditation as of that year. Cindy Mahan has led Friendship throughout its history. From its start as a day school in Russellville, the nonprofit now works in 29 Arkansas counties and employs 850 full-time workers. Mahan said the inclusion of services to the elderly came about because the organization realized that as people aged, they began to experience disabilities. "All those life-functioning areas that you have to have help with, whether it's health care, whether it's driving, therapy — all those things are a mix that we provide," she said. "Whether it be providing inpatient or outpatient therapies, coordinating transportation for the elderly, early intervention for toddlers or delivering meals-on-wheels to the seniors throughout the area, the basic driving philosophy of Friendship is that no one goes through life unchallenged," the nonprofit says. Despite the economic downturn, Friendship has seen a steady increase in its revenue during the past three years, rising from $20.5 million in 2007 to $24.4 million in 2009. One of its latest projects is Pottery Worx in Bryant and Russellville, art studios that foster interaction between the developmentally disabled and the community. As the organization notes: "The thing that makes Friendship unique is that we choose to welcome every challenge as an opportunity to embrace life."
