Big Projects on the Horizon – ODC Annual Appeal

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.

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