Porter-Starke Services opened their brand new facility to the public on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 for a ribbon cutting ceremony in conjuction with the Portage Chamber of Commerce. Many people came out for the event, and in no time did the front lobby become jammed to its capacity. Tours were being held to show people around the new facility, and snacks and refreshments were also available. Rocco Schiralli, President and CEO of Porter-Starke Services, shared his heart on the effort by saying, "Of course you feel the personal sense of accomplishment, but more importantly, the teamwork that went into this entire project and the level of cooperation [was great]." Schiralli thanked many who were involved in the project, including Mayor Olga Velazquez.
Porter-Starke will be able to increase the quality and quantity of their services to families and individuals in Porter County, but it's not just their facility that they want people to be aware of in the community. "We're much more than a building. We provide services in the emergency rooms, in schools, in clients' homes," explained Schiralli during the ribbon cutting event. "The history of mental health services has always been 'we wait for people to come to us', but we, as an organization, want to go where the people are," said Bob Franko, Vice President of Porter-Starke. 
But, they want to be ready when people come to them as well. Franko explained that the current new building is already too small for them, but they will be looking to expand on the north side of the building in the future. Especially as 32 million Americans claim their government-provided health insurance in the next few years, Porter-Starke is ready to accept whatever challenge is thrown at them. "We've for many years wanted to expand in Portage, and everything seemed to fall into place and now have finally accomplished our goal," said Schiralli. Porter-Starke Services continues to strive forward with their message of health, balance, and hope and this is one step further to bringing that message to many more Porter County residents.
For a video that coincides with this article, click here!