Dear Friends of the ODC,

In 2024 we have been celebrating our 75^th anniversary!! Back in 1949 when Olivia Stoner and Marian Headrick founded what was then called the “Help-Self School,” (later the Child Development Center) they never could have imagined that their vision would have lasted so long and come so far.  We’ve celebrated this year with Founders’ Day, a banquet, and the 1^st Annual Robert L. Richards Memorial Golf Tournament. We continue the job of providing our Program Participants with vocational training and employment services, with even more of them going out into the community regularly. In fact, we have up to 3 crews going out to various work and volunteer sites every day, thanks to the vehicles YOU helped us purchase through your generous donations.

Through the ODC, our Participants continue to learn valuable vocational, life, and social skills. They are not just learning how to do specific tasks, but also how to be good employees and coworkers, as well as how to be more independent in all that they do:

• Kristen is actively seeking employment in the community while still working at the ODC. Additionally, she has indicated a desire to better understand finances, so we are working with her to learn the value of different coins and bills and how to make change. This is a skill that not only would help her in certain jobs but is a great life skill for all of us.
• Ben just started working at the ODC this year and is already fitting in well. He has wanted to come here for some time because he already knew many of our Participants and had heard all the good things they have to say about working here. He has a desire to earn a paycheck in hopes of gaining more independence in his life.
• Ryan is all about the good life. For the self-proclaimed “Party King,” working hard means making more money for vacations and eventually getting his own apartment. He talks about taking a Disney cruise someday, and we know he’ll find a way to make it happen!
• Brandon loves working at the ODC, and in the past year has increased his hours, while regularly agreeing to learn new and challenging tasks. He loves the work and the good feeling that comes from a job well done, not to mention the paycheck! Brandon says he is saving his money up for video games and computer equipment.

We exist to make a difference in the lives of Kristen, Ben, Ryan, Brandon, and other individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They all want what you and I take for granted: financial stability, independence, the ability to make their own choices in life, and the ability to not only provide for their own basic needs, but also purchase those extra things that make life more enjoyable. For our Program Participants, these things sometimes seem out of reach.

To do this, we need to have the proper infrastructure in place to do our own jobs well. From keeping track of the work and progress or our Program Participants, and scheduling Community Participation Supports outings, to filing required reports, and interacting with companies and individuals that might want to work with us, our computer network and online presence are at the center of all that we do.

It has been about 6 years since our last tech upgrade, and we want to make sure that our network and the computers we use are fully up to date. The easier (and faster) it is for our supervisors to take care of their record keeping, the more time they will have to spend working directly with our Program Participants, helping them reach their goals and learn new things.

Additionally, it has now been more than 7 years since we rebranded with a new logo and launched what was then our new website, thanks to the talented folks at The Curio Collective. With the rapid pace of technology, websites generally need to be redesigned every 5 years. We are well past that, and while we love what we have, it is time for a new web presence that takes better advantage of new technology and gives us a much-needed refresh on our look. Our website is our main source of communication with our Participants and their families, our donors, and both prospective Participants and business partners.

This year’s appeal goal is $30,000

You can help us meet this goal by sending in your tax-deductible contribution made out to the ODC (640 Martha Ave., Lancaster, PA 17601), or by donating online at your convenience.

On behalf of our Program Participants, their families, our staff, and the ODC Board of Directors, we thank you for your continued support of our mission. 

Also, don’t forget to join us online at the Extraordinary Give at ExtraGive.com on Friday, November 22nd! We’ll be having a special event at Hempfield Apothetique at 100 W. Walnut Street in Lancaster. Come join us!