Pardon Our Dust: The ODC is Always a Work in Progress

Dear Friends of the ODC,

As 2026 winds down, we are REALLY looking forward to 2027. While we saw so much growth this year, we did have some hiccups, burps, and bumps in the road as well. But through it all we have continued to focus on our Participants and their success. In fact, our new mantra is “Success is for Everyone!” For many, success is measured in terms of money or possessions, but we prefer the classic definition of success: the achievement of a desired goal, purpose, or intended outcome. All our Participants have goals, and they achieve success daily while at the ODC. Sure, making money might be a part of that, but for the most part, success means moving forward in one of many areas of their lives.

For Michael, success is showing up and working hard every day. Whether he is in-house or working at a location in the community, Michael always gives his best. When we went outside to clean up trash on our adopted block, he got really into it and showed initiative and even helped his fellow Participants with the job.

For Nancy, who is one of our newest participants, success is jumping into the unknown. She came to the ODC with a strong vocational background, but we had a few jobs in-house that she had never seen. When she was asked if she wanted to step in and learn something new, she had no hesitations. She eagerly accepted the opportunity to broaden her skill set and she never turns down the chance to learn something new. And she learns fast!

Meanwhile, Brandon continues to grow, as he also has added new jobs and tasks to his skill set. He eagerly pitches in and has done well at the various CPS locations we visit. Additionally, Brandon has made some decisions and changes in his personal life that have given him much more independence and responsibility.

Way to go, Michael, Nancy, and Brandon! We are incredibly proud of all three of you and your successes!

Here’s Your Part

Last year you and our other donors came up big for us and helped us raise funds to help us on our way to getting a much-needed new roof. Very soon we will be able to make that a reality and work will hopefully begin. (The new roof had to be put on hold as we had to have ALL 7 of our large HVAC units replaced to the tune of $85,000!)

But as we approach winter, it is even more imperative that we get our roof taken care of before the bad weather hits and look forward to more in-depth renovations of our aging building.

You can help us meet that goal by donating online at your convenience.

This year’s goal is $125,000

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, with the understanding that Success is for Everyone!

Join us online and in person at the Extraordinary Give at ExtraGive.com on Friday, November 20th!

 John, Supervisor Alyssa, Maria, and Carlos modeling our new Success is for Everyone t-shirts