HarvestFest 2022 The Barbara Olson Center of Hope hosted our fourth annual HarvestFest friendraiser on October 6 at Prairie Street Brewing Co. We’d like to thank all of our sponsors, donors, supporters, and volunteers who made the evening a success. The event raised more than $19,000, of which the net proceeds

Meet Pam Carey Pam Carey is the Executive Director at the Center of Hope. She’s been with the Center for 12 ½ years. We asked Pam to share some of her thoughts about the time she has been at the Center. Please describe your role at the Center. To oversee the

Center of Hope receives Building Bridges Transition Program grant Barbara Olson Center of Hope is proud to announce it has received a $9,000 grant from the William S. Howard Charitable Trust for its Bridges to the Future transitions program. Bridges to the Future is a program at Barbara Olson Center of

Meet Laura Rogers Laura Rogers is a Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP). She’s been with the Center of Hope for 11 years. We asked Laura to share some of her thoughts about the time she has been at the Center. Please describe your role at the Center. I work at managing

Gaining employment skills through job simulation The Center of Hope has a new job simulation program to help the participants gain employment skills so they can earn a paycheck. The program, which started in early September, is designed for both participants who can work independently and for those who need some

DSP Week: Showing appreciation for our Direct Support Professionals Every year we say our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the best, and this year is truer than ever! Everyone at the Center of Hope, including supervisors, directors and especially the participants appreciate everything our DSPs do on a daily basis. We

A day devoted to staff development Four times a year, the staff at the Center meets for a day to develop skills that will help them better serve the participants. This quarter’s meeting was held on Friday, September 17. The day started with introductions of new staff members and presentation of

Meet Tammy Chandler Tammy Chandler is a human resources generalist at the Center of Hope and has been on the staff for 12 years. We asked Tammy to share some of her thoughts about her time at the Center. Please describe your role at the Center. I wear lots of hats

Out and About Summer is a great time for for ice cream, park visits, bowling and flower picking. Each week, the participants at the Center go out into the community. Outings are important for our participants for many reasons; to experience all their community has to offer and to work on

Celebrating talent, loyalty and commitment The Talent, Loyalty and Commitment Luncheon was held for all the amazing staff that have been with the Center of Hope over five years. Twenty-six employees attended the luncheon, representing almost 90 percent of the staff. Barb Mosny, human resources assistant, celebrated her 27 years at