Our History

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Buffalo River Services, Inc. is a private non-profit corporation licensed and contracted by the State of Tennessee to provide services to adults with disabilities. BRS Inc. had its beginning in 1972 as Wayne County Skills, Inc. with the purpose of providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities in Wayne County only. Since that time BRS, Inc. has developed into a multi-county, decentralized agency. We have received recognition for excellence as we have gained success in transitioning from a "facilities-based" and "organization centered" operation to a "community based" and "person-centered" provider. We are recognized today as a viable and important asset to our communities and the individuals we serve. 

 

We have been around for a long time. Buffalo River Services, Inc. changed its name back during 1988 from the name of Wayne County Skills. In 1972, a handful of parents came together and formed an organization that was chartered as the Wayne County Association of Retarded Citizens. That group then began the work of finding funding to establish day services for their adult children, who before this time, had nowhere meaningful to be during the day hours while the parents worked. The funding they applied for came from the Department of Mental Retardation. On December 12, 1972, this grass root body of people, chartered Wayne County Skills/now BRS and services started for a small number of adults with mental retardation.

 

In 1989, the organization began to operate under the new name of Buffalo River Services, Inc. to reflect the fact that the geographic area served had increased to include residents of Lewis and Perry counties along with Wayne County. 

 

Today, BRS supports people with disabilities and their families in Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, Perry and Wayne counties. In 2001 and 2002, the visionary board of BRS began the process of establishing a fundraising organization for the specific function of providing additional financial assistance to the provider agency. Buffalo River Services operates primarily with money from the state to pay for its programs. However, like all other non-profit agencies in community services, the state funding is never adequate enough to fulfill the fiscal needs. Therefore, The William Thomas Helton Memorial Foundation was created. This organization will assist, with its separate board of directors, to raise money to place in an account so that interest will be accruing for the years to come. That interest will be an ever giving donation that will continually assist in paying for services that our participants need where the government dollars fail. It is desired that donors will be attracted who will wish to give not only from the bountiful blessings that we enjoy in making our livelihood but who will also decide to leave part or whole estates to the foundation. The first step is calling for more information. Please Contact Buffalo River Services at (931)722-5401 if you are interested in making a donation to this worthy cause through The William Thomas Helton Memorial Foundation.

 

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