Rockford Cosmopolitan Charities grants Center of Hope $2,500

Barbara Olson Center of Hope has received a $2,500 grant from Rockford Cosmopolitan Charities for its Community Inclusion project.

The purpose of the project is to help our participants who have developmental disabilities become as independent as possible and to build skills they can use in the community. Our plan is to expand two areas, our GourMutts Dog Biscuits and produce garden, to have goods to sell throughout the community.

“Participants have the choice and right to actively engage in the community they live. This could be regularly going to parks, the library, finding employment, or running community markets.  It is important to remind all individuals they have the same rights and giving them the tools to access the community and activities they choose, it is important for each individual’s quality of life, the same is it is for those without developmental disabilities,” said Pam Carey, executive director.

Through this experience, our participants will be promoting a healthy lifestyle while gaining many job skills, from being responsible for a project from start to finish to being involved on a committee as a member and voicing ideas and concerns to keep the project moving in the right direction to meet their goals.