101 Pageviews Read Stories
Causes: Developmentally Disabled Centers, Disabilities, Human Services
Mission: Village of progress is a private not for profit corporation that was founded in 1969 to meet the training needs of adults with disabilities who reside in ogle county. The agency is governed by a 15-member board of directors that represents various walks of life and virtually every community in the county. The purpose of the village is to provide training services to adults in ogle county with developmental disabilities. The goal is to help them excel in all environments.
Programs: The day training program starts with each individual going through a one-month evaluation process. This part of the program includes testing for vocational strengths. Throughout the program, the individual is paid a wage that is commensurate with his or her ability. Upon completion of the evaluation, a comprehensive training plan is implemented to give the individual a combination of work, social, recreational, and educational experiences. The program provides an employment environment with fair wages and fringe benefits for the participant. In addition to in-house training, the village provides various opportunities for supported employment in the community. The village cleaning service (a division of the village of progress) provides commercial cleaning throughout the region. Individuals participating in this program will work off-site for part or all of the day, working shoulder-to-shoulder among non-disabled staff. Most earn a competitive wage. The village also operates the village bakery (another division of the village of progress), a nonprofit retail bakery and cafe in downtown oregon. The village bakery provides integrated work at competitive wages. Approximately 25% of the employees have disabilities, the rest do not. This unique setting helps individuals with disabilities learn to work and socialize in 'real world' settings. The bakery affirmatively works to give all staff - both those with and without disabilities - a wide variety of assignments. Throughout the school year it also provides internships to special education students in cooperation with area school districts. For the fiscal year ended 6/30/2017 the village of progress provided services to approximately 94 individuals, totaling 94,399 hours of service. The village of progress receives less than 50% of the income from state funding. The long term goal is to continue our commitment to the community by providing quality service in a safe environment with a qualified and dedicated staff.