Author Archives: Ken Mueller

Extraordinary Give Party 2025!

Friday, November 21, 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Extraordinary Give is back and we are celebrating in style, and we want you to meet our newest neighbors, who also happen to be our oldest neighbors!

Have You Ever Wanted to See Inside the Silk Mill??

The ODC is all about commmunity, and this year we are partnering with CAM Construction to help them show off their latest project in our area: The Lofts at Stehli Silk Mill. So this year’s Extraordinary Give Party for the ODC is being held in their resident-only Club Room, and you’re invited to get a sneak peak and a tour of some of their apartments. We’ll have food on hand, plus an ice cream bar provided by Lickity Split and beer from Pour Man’s Brewing/St. Boniface.

We’d love for you to stop by, enjoy some food and drink, while seeing what the new version of the silk mill looks like! We’ll have some fun activities, and a Christmas themed photo booth so you can get a head start on that photo Christmas card!

We have been at our current address since 1956, and have actually been on Martha Avenue since 1951. That’s 74 of our 76 years in the Rossmere Neighborhood. The Stehli Silk Mill, on the other hand, has been across Martha Avenue since 1897, and at one time was the 2nd largest silk mill in the world, employing over 2000 people, many of whom lived in our neighborhood. And much of the neighborhood was built specifically for the mill workers. In fact, the land the ODC sits on was once known as Stehli Park.

For much of the time the ODC has been here, the mill has sat silent and became increasingly run down. In recent years there were several attempts to redevelop the property, but nothing ever panned out until CAM Construction came on board a few years ago. It is so nice to finally have some new neighbors and as we seek to become better neighbors, the money we raise from the ExtraGive will go toward putting a roof on our building as we move toward larger renovations, both inside and out.

As part of the ExtraGive, we also have the return of the Mearig Match and the McNickle Match! An anonymous donor has given us $10,000 in memory of the Mearig family, to help us kick off the giving. For every dollar you give to us at the ExtraGive, it will be matched by the Mearig Match, up to $10,000! So help us out by giving to us on Friday, November 21. And, longtime supporter Bill McNickle is giving us a $5,000 match in memory of his brother Bobby, who was a Participant at the ODC for 38 years! Bill and Bobby’s parents were actively involved in the ODC (and it’s predecessor, the Child Development Center) as far back as the mid-1950’s, even BEFORE Bobby was working here!

The Mearigs were longtime members of the ODC family.

Herbert “Bud” Mearig, and his wife Doris, became involved with us back in the early 1950’s when we, as the Child Development Center, were just getting started. They only had one child, Herbert “Herbie” Mearig, Jr., who was born with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a result, he was one of the many children who came to the CDC for schooling. In 1958, when we became more focused on providing occupational training, Herbie stayed on, and was here at the ODC for more than 50 years.

While Herbie was one of our participants, his parents were regularly involved in our day to day operations. From the 1950s, all the way into the 1980s, Bud served on our board, and for a time was board president. His wife, Doris Klopp Mearig, also served on the ODC board as secretary and was active in our Parents Group and the ODC Auxiliary for many years.

Both Bud and Doris were born and raised right here in Lancaster and attended Upper Leacock High School together. Bud served in the U.S. Navy in WWII, and owned an office equipment and business machines company, and was also a business consultant.

With Herbie working here at the ODC, Bud and Doris continued to be involved, and were very generous with both their time and money.

Herbie passed away at the age of 63 in 2009, shortly after his retirement from the ODC. Doris passed away in 2011 at the age of 93, while Bud passed in 2016 at the age of 99.

We are so grateful for the Mearigs and the McNickles and how they made the ODC a central part of their lives for more than half a century. And we are grateful for their friends who have decided to honor them in this way.

13 Benefits of Hiring Intellectually & Developmentally Disabled Employees

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Here at the Occupational Development Center we’re in the business of helping individuals with developmental disabilities find their best possible path to employment. In many cases, that might be in the community.

But, sometimes business aren’t used to thinking about hiring someone with IDD, whether it is to fill a vacant position, or perhaps create a job specifically for such an individual in what is known as “customized employment.” For us, we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month EVERY month. It’s what we do and why we are here. But we want business owners to begin to think about it every day and every month, as well.

For National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we thought it would be helpful to list a number of the benefits businesses get from hiring individuals with developmental disabilities. Feel free to pass this along the people in charge of hiring at your place of business. Thank you!

*A printable version of this list is located at the bottom of this post.

13 Benefits of hiring Developmentally Disabled Employees

Employers love them

They win over employers’ (and customers’) hearts with their sincere smiles and willingness to do anything to help. Employers report that their disabled employees have a great propensity to remain open to new ideas and listen.

Increased profits

The majority of employers who have made the leap and hired a disabled employee have seem a positive impact on productivity which, in turn, increases productivity.

They have staying power

Unlike some of their peers, the developmentally disabled are grateful to have a job and do not seek new employment regularly. Lower turnover and higher retention save you money by not having to go through yet another hiring and training process.

They want to succeed

Employers agree that these employees are committed to their work and dedicated to the company and exhibit a very strong desire to succeed and regularly seek more responsibility.

They’re reliable

They were rated higher on taking fewer sick days, arriving on time for work daily, and returning on time from breaks than their co-workers. Lower rates of absenteeism increase overall productivity.

They’re productive

Employers have enthusiastically indicated that they continually meet or exceed the performance their peers, increasing company profitability. They demonstrate high levels of productivity in a wide range of jobs. And increase productivity is contagious!

They continue to improve

Their work performance improves steadily over time. Even those workers with more profound disabilities have shown great improvement, contributing to the bottom line.

They are happy to be there

No attitudes here! Employers say they are extremely satisfied with their developmentally disabled employees because they truly love their jobs, embrace the opportunity to help the company grow, and respect authority.

They inspire others

Employers have witnessed camaraderie and a positive effect on their entire staff. Co-workers seem much more open to teamwork when a developmentally disabled employee is on their team. They have also witnessed other employees enthusiastically helping disabled employees be successful.

Customers like them

Employees with developmental disabilities promote a positive corporate image that increases customer base and loyalty. One survey revealed that 93-percent of customers said they preferred to purchase from a company that employed individuals with disabilities.

They inspire a change for the better

It takes action to beget action. If more companies would hire developmentally disabled employees, others would be inspired to do the same when they witness first-hand what an incredible asset they can be.

There are financial benefits

No-cost consultation and technical assistance is available to help employers hire people with developmental disabilities and provide on the job training. There are also tax incentives available for those who hire individuals with disabilities.

It promotes workforce diversity

Hiring individuals with developmental disabilities promotes diversity in your workforce and is good for the employee, the business, and the community in general.

Interested? Intrigued? Contact us at for more information about how we can help you hire individuals with developmental disabilities.

Dowloadable/Printable version

*Some of these were taken/adapted from 11 Great Reasons to Hire Developmentally Disabled Employees and Top Reasons to Hire Persons with Developmental Disabilities.

Big Projects on the Horizon – ODC Annual Appeal

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Dear Friends of the ODC,

2025 has been an interesting year as we continue our mission of providing vocational skills training and employment services to area adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is such rewarding work and we all love working alongside our Program Participants daily. Recently, we had the bittersweet task of bidding farewell to two of our longest tenured employees as they decided to retire. So now we are adjusting to new people in new roles, as we head into our 77th year!

Through the ODC, our Participants continue to develop and show growth in a lot of different areas.

Emerson was just recently offered a full-time job working in the kitchen at a local retirement community. He has learned a wide range of skills at the ODC, many of which he will be able to use in this new opportunity!

Maria continues to grow in her knowledge and skills set to the point where she is now mentoring her peers and providing supervisory assistance while working in-house. She has gained so much confidence at the ODC. We wish you could see the difference between now and when she first came to us 8 years ago!

Brandon’s skills set has grown by leaps and bounds, and a big victory for him this year was further developing his ability to count. Not long ago, counting to ten was a struggle for him, and thanks to his hard work, and the assistance of our staff, Brandon has learned the basic concepts behind counting, and he can now count very high without any real effort!

Way to go, Emerson, Maria, and Brandon! We are incredibly proud of all three of you and can’t wait to see where the next year takes you!

While we are out in the community on a daily basis, much of the work that we do still takes place in our building at 640 Martha Avenue in Lancaster. The original part of the building was constructed for us in 1956, with additions in 1965 and 1984. As this building ages, we have some very real concerns, especially as they relate to the safety, health, and wellness of our Participants.

Over the past few years your generous donations have helped us repair and upgrade some of our plumbing, as well as replace the ceiling in the front area of the building. We have been putting band-aids on band-aids, and the time has come where we really can’t do that anymore if we want to provide a safe and welcoming work environment for the folks we serve.

As you may know, we had several very strong storms with heavy rainfall this summer that revealed to us very clearly that ”band-aids” would no longer be enough to hold our roof together to keep our Participants and staff safe. Several rather large leaks, some close to electrical equipment, forced us to shut down one of our areas for a few days. We had the roof patched yet again, but we are aware that we now need a full roof replacement, not just repairs. After all, the current roof is about 40 years old! And with a roof that is more than 15,000 square feet, you can imagine it is going to be a rather expensive project.

With that in mind, we are seeking to raise $150,000 to replace the roof, which will be Phase One of a much larger inside and outside renovation project, to create a safer and more work appropriate environment as we move into our next 75 years on Martha Avenue! With more new businesses moving into the area, as we sit in the shadow of the newly renovated Stehli Silk Mill, we know we need to improve our external appearance to be good stewards in our neighborhood.

This year’s goal is

$150,000

You can help us meet that goal by sending in your tax-deductible contribution, or by donating online at your convenience on our website at odcenter.org.

Donate

On behalf of our Program Participants, their families, our staff, the ODC Board of Directors, AND our neighbors in Manheim Township, we thank you for your continued support of our mission.

Gregg Richards, Executive Director

Also, don’t forget to Join us online and in person at the Extraordinary Give at ExtraGive.com on Friday, November 21st! We are planning a very special party you won’t want to miss!

717-397-4269

640 Martha Ave., Lancaster, PA 17601

It’s Movie Time!

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Grab your tickets to catch a movie and help out the ODC!

We have partnered with Regal Cinemas to offer you a deal on a movie ticket bundle that also supports the ODC.

Here’s how it works:

Purchase a 2 for $30 Regal ticket bundle online (which is about the regular cost of a movie these days).

Regal donates 25% of your sale ($7.50 per bundle) to the ODC

Use your tickets at ANY Regal Cinema, and enjoy your movie!

It’s that simple!

These movie bundles make great gifts! Use them as stocking stuffers, gifts for teachers, bosses, employees, coworkers, or get some for yourself.

Purchase Now!

And feel free to spread the word!

Turning the Page

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With last week’s retirement of Senior Program Specialist Shelly Laity and Office Manager Tammy Gibson, we have a few positions to fill.

Thankfully, we are already moving on with some homegrown talent and are pleased to announce three promotions at the ODC.

First up, is the promotion of Jeremy Miller from Program Specialist to Senior Program Specialist, filling the vacancy left by Shelly. Jeremy has been with the ODC since 2015, when he was initially hired as one of our Mobile Work Crew Supervisors. In that role he would accompany our CPS and Small Group Employment groups out into the community for various work opportunities.

In 2017 he was promoted to the role of Program Specialist. As Senior Program Specialist his tasks will include the development and implementation of Individualized Service Plans; coordination of services for new and existing participants; facilitating the admissions process for new applicants and supervision and training of employees, as well as overseeing and supporting the progress of each participant’s long range vocational plans. He is originally from the Philly area, and obtained his B.S. in Psychology from Mansfield University, with a focus in Human Resources.

His passions in life include anything to do with Notre Dame football, as well as just about everything related to Philadelphia sports. He also loves camping and fishing.

With Jeremy moving up, another promotion sees Courtney McClair joining the management team as a Program Specialist. Courtney came to the ODC about a year ago while still a student at Millersville University. She was initially a part-time Community Participation Supports supervisor, but upon graduation in September she was elevated to full-time.

With Jeremy moving up to replace Shelly, Courtney is now being promoted to replace Jeremy as our newest Program Specialist. She will be taking on a full caseload of Participants and will the development and implementation of program services for them.

Courtney is a native Lancastrian (from Columbia) and has a degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from Millersville University, with a concentration in Applied Disability Studies and a minor in Social Justice. Her passions including cheerleading (as a coach) and Philly Sports.

Finally, with a vacancy in the Office Manager position, Katrina Rucker has been promoted to fill that role. Katrina came to the ODC as Adminstrative Assistant in our front office in January of 2020, just before the pandemic shut us down for awhile.

In her new role as Office Manager, Kat will be making sure that everything runs smoothly in the background, keeping track of all things financial and all money going in and out.

Originally from Jersey Shore, PA, Kat now lives in York with her husband. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Art with a focus on Graphic Design from Shippensburg University. Kat is passionate about gaming, particularly colony simulator games.

A Fond Farewell for Two of Our Favorites

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We have some bittersweet news this week, as we say “Goodbye” (for now) to two of our longest tenured employees. While we are sorry to see them go, we are grateful for all they have meant to the ODC, and are extremely happy that they get to enjoy some time to do the things they really want to do without having to get up early for work or attend meetings.

This week marks the retirement of Senior Program Specialist Shelly Laity and Office Manager Tammy Gibson, and we are definitely going to miss them and all they bring to the ODC.

Shelly began at the ODC back in 2001, and spent a few years working as a direct support professional/floor supervisor. In that capacity she worked closely with our Program Participants on their daily work, helping them to learn a variety of vocational skills. After about five years she was promoted to Program Specialist where her responsibilities included the development and implementation of Individualized Service Plans; coordination of services for new and existing participants; facilitating the admissions process for new applicants and supervision and training of employees, as well as overseeing and supporting the progress of each participant’s long range vocational plans. In 2011 she took on the role of Senior Program Specialist, a position she has held for 14 years.

Executive Director Gregg Richards has this to say about Shelly:

“Shelly is gifted. She has THE gift that you need to have to be successful when it comes to working with people. It’s almost like she carries a part of a person with her once she meets them. Over the years, I have witnessed literally hundreds of people wait at her office door during their breaks at the ODC just to make sure that they got to talk to her for a little bit. She can remember all of those people. I know that they all remember her too. I will miss Shelly very much too, but she is my neighbor… So I KNOW WHERE SHE LIVES!! 😊”

In her retirement, Shelly says will be a fulltime dog and cat mom, and hopes to spend more time pursuing her artistic endeavors, like drawing and painting. She also hopes to spend more time gardening.

Shelly shares one of the memories she has from her time at the ODC:

There are so many memories from 24 years at the ODC and thankfully most of them are good.

I’ve learned so much from each of the individuals with whom I’ve been privileged to work

One of the most inspiring ones was Charlie. He showed everyone around him that no matter what life has thrown at you, you can keep an optimistic outlook and find delight in almost anything.

He was in his late 60’s when I started working here in 2001. From my perspective now he was really quite young…

Most of the time he was unable to control his limbs due to Cerebral Palsy, yet he never stopped trying.

His hands were distorted from arthritis, yet he was determined to try every job that we had.

He was confined to a wheelchair, yet he was always on the move.

He was deaf, yet somehow he always knew what was going on and if someone was in need of support.

He couldn’t speak yet he always made himself heard and understood.

He had no teeth yet had the most wonderful smile.

He spent many years in an institution well known for breaking the spirits of its patients, yet he was always full of joy.

If, with all of these hurdles, he could face each day with a positive outlook, acceptance of everyone and a willingness to try and make a difference then so can I.

Charlie passed away 12 or 13 years ago but continues to motivate and inspire and I think he would be proud of that legacy.

Tammy, meanwhile, started at the ODC as an administrative assistant back in 2009, and before her first year was out, had been promoted to Office Manager. Tammy is the heart of the ODC, keeping everything running smoothly. She has been in charge of all the money that goes in and out and keeping track of everything.

In her retirement Tammy plans to spend some more time playing Golf, browsing antique stores, and doing some landscaping and other improvements at her home.

Gregg has this to say about Tammy:

“Tammy has been my right hand for the 15 years we have worked together. She and I worked together closely on many important projects over the years and there was not one time where she was unable to get me what I was asking for. She is incredibly professional and organized. I am so happy for her and look forward to seeing how retirement treats her, but I will miss her terribly.”

Tammy relates this story from her early years at the ODC:

I got a phone call at 2 a.m. It was Gregg. He said the building had been broken into and the police were there and were dusting for fingerprints. The windows were broken in the cafeteria door. He said that we needed a handyman to fix things, and could I find one in the middle of the night to board them up. I said I would try. I got on Angie’s List and found a handyman in the neighborhood and I called him and his wife answered, I said “this is a strange request in the middle of the night but we got broken into and need help.”

He came in right away and took care of it.

While I was on the phone with Gregg, I asked if the vehicles still there? And he had to look and said they were. I asked if anything was missing? He told me they beat the heck out of the safe. [This safe is HUGE and practically impenetrable] The safe handle was broken and they ruined the drum so we had to get a locksmith in to fix it.

Months later, a police officer came in and told us he might have info on the break-in. That’s when they revealed that MY fingerprints were the ones that were all over the safe.

I responded, “Well, I work here and my job means getting into the safe every day…”

Tammy and Shelly, you both will be missed greatly.

Thank you, so much, for all that you have done for the ODC. You are both a big part of what makes us who we are today. Your work has impacted the lives of countless Program Participants over the years, and we are incredibly blessed and honored to have had you in our lives. Not just as coworkers, but as friends and family. Thank you!