Wesley Glen Ministries
Wesley Glen Ministries
“We are desperate. Navigating care and services can bring families to their knees. Too many of us are simply trying to survive, much less thrive.”
- Columbus father of a son with IDD
More choices. More opportunities. Closer to home.
Wesley Glen’s Columbus Community Access Program opened on September 16, 2026, welcoming 10 neighbors at a temporary location. While work continues on our permanent location on Dillingham Street in Uptown Columbus, the program operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We expect to move to the Uptown location by the end of the year.
Wesley Glen brings to Columbus a proven model of Christian, person-centered care through which neighbors are known, valued, and empowered to live with dignity and as much independence as possible. Our programs follow nationally recognized standards and are dually accredited.
Why Columbus? Answering the Call.
Existing providers offer valuable services, yet there are more neighbors and families who need support than current programs can serve. Parents have shared that existing program offerings do not always match their loved ones’ specific needs. Expanding capacity restores families’ ability to choose among care providers based on their loved one’s interests, values, and long-term goals.
After intentional planning, prayer, and ongoing conversations with Columbus families and community leaders, Wesley Glen is establishing a presence that will expand family choice, strengthen the local system of support, and create greater opportunities for neighbors to belong, contribute, and thrive.
Parents, educators, clinicians, advocates, and community leaders helped guide the program’s development. As it grows, neighbors’ interests and goals are shaping the activities and local partnerships. We don’t build a program for the people… the people we serve are the program. They design it to their interests and desires. They want to work, serve, and enjoy hobbies with their friends.
After intentional planning, prayer, and ongoing conversations with Columbus families and community leaders, Wesley Glen is establishing a presence that will expand family choice, strengthen the local system of support, and create greater opportunities for neighbors to belong, contribute, and thrive.
Parents, educators, clinicians, advocates, and community leaders helped guide the program’s development. As it grows, neighbors’ interests and goals are shaping the activities and local partnerships. We don’t build a program for the people… the people we serve are the program. They design it to their interests and desires. They want to work, serve, and enjoy hobbies with their friends.
Nicole "Nikki" Hilmes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA
Chief Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Officer
Nikki leads Wesley Glen’s Community Access Program in Columbus. She is a speech-language pathologist and board-certified behavior analyst, bringing clinical expertise and the perspective of a parent of an adult son with autism.
Nikki works with neighbors, families, staff, and local partners to build a program shaped by neighbors’ interests and goals. Her leadership helps connect opportunities inside the program with relationships, service, and engagement throughout the Columbus community.
"A center with and without walls"
Wesley Glen's approach is unique in the way we offer comprehensive, flexible programming that accommodates each neighbor’s interests and needs. Neighbors have the freedom to explore their space, make independent choices, and participate in activities they enjoy both inside and outside of the building. Our model is often described as a “center with and without walls.”
Our Community Access Program offers daily engagement outside of the building, life skills development, employment readiness, and family support. Neighbors do not simply receive services inside a facility. This programming is intentionally designed to prepare neighbors to engage meaningfully within the community. Neighbors will use the skills gained at the center to contribute to the Columbus community through civic activities, volunteerism, and employment opportunities.
Our approach helps neighbors identify, lead, and carry out projects that reflect their interests, goals, and the needs they see around them. Rather than simply inviting neighbors to attend planned activities, Wesley Glen supports them in taking ownership, making decisions, building partnerships, and serving alongside others in the community. Neighbors are not only recipients of care; they are contributors whose ideas, gifts, and leadership strengthen the communities around them.
Growing with care
Our new space and programming will accommodate 50 to 55 neighbors at full capacity. We welcomed our first 10 neighbors on September 16, 2026, and will gradually scale to serve approximately 50 within the first year. This phased approach will ensure each neighbor has time to acclimate to the program, build relationships with each other, and receive the individualized support needed to thrive.
Beginning with the Community Access Program allows Wesley Glen to meet immediate needs while laying the groundwork for future services and a lasting presence in the region. Once we reach capacity at the Dillingham Street location, we plan to explore opening other locations elsewhere in West Georgia. The number of families already requesting our help with both residential services and community programming makes clear that this first location is only the beginning of what may be needed to serve the region well.
(Be sure to type "Columbus" in the memo of your gift.)
