Each week on “On a Mission” we talk to community leaders who are out to make a positive impact in the area. Today, our host Wendy Norfleet talks to Amy Buggle from DLC Nurse & Learn.

DLC Nurse and Learn is an inclusive child care that caters to children with special needs so that parents and caregivers can work full-time while children receive the education, therapy services and nursing care they need.

To learn more, visit http://www.dlcnl.org/index.html

What makes your company unique?: A program is available to children of all abilities from typically developing to severely disabled and medically involve children. So that all children can learn and play together. We also care for students after school and over the summer through age 20 to 4 older students that have not reached independence.

How do you define success?: If families are able to complete their education‘s and work full-time to support their family and children are able to successfully improve their skill level that and success. Our goal is for 80% of children to enter the public school system upon graduation.

Who in the industry inspires you and why?: Everyone running a small nonprofit as an inspiration to me. They are doing it for the sole purpose of helping others. They may not receive much in their paychecks but they receive a bigger reward by helping those in need.

What is a tip for success that you would provide someone in your same industry?: Never give up, keep moving forward or you will never reach success.

What excites you most about your industry?: I have just written my first book that focuses on the inspiration that motivated me to start and run DLC for over 30 years. It is a spiritually-based book that shows exactly how anyone that has passion and desire to help others and starts a nonprofit program. I have very little business experience but was willing to learn and grow as my program did.

What is the biggest challenge you think you or your organization is going to face in the upcoming year?: Lack of business support in the area because of the Covid shut downs. And as it has always been, children with disabilities seem to be the lowest on the totem pole when it comes to government funding.

Who is a Trustee in our community that you admire and why?: I’m really not sure what you mean by trustee. One of the main individuals connected with Baptist Hospital‘s community outreach is Melanie Patz. She is someone I really admire. She uses her position to really help the organizations doing the real work on the ground and she gets things done.