Eddie Galati is a proud, very capable 76-year-old who just happens to have cerebral palsy. Some people may see this as a disability. But with a little support from the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD), Eddie’s abilities have been uncovered and it has been found that there are not many things that Eddie …
Teens Take New Leadership Skills To School This Year
School is back in session for the kids of Marion County and some of our local teens have started the school year with a broader perspective than they had before their summer began. The Marion Family YMCA holds a summer camp each year, but this year, for their teen population, they decided to do something …
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Modern Woodmen of America honors Marion County Board of DD Employees
Modern Woodmen of America honors Marion County Board of DD Employees Modern Woodmen is a national fraternal financial services organization that was founded in 1883 and has been in Marion since 1906. Being a fraternal benefit society, and a 501(c)8 tax-exempt organization, allows the organization to give back to the communities in which they serve. …
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Cayden means “fighter”
The Jolliff family is the picture of living in the moment. Their life is equated by the day – maybe even the hour or the minute. Each moment holds a small miracle. His name is Cayden. Kevin and Gretchen Jolliff were married in June of 2014 and excited to grow their family. Kevin had a …
June 2018 Message
We received the great news this month at the County Commissioners open meeting that the resolution to be on the ballot in November was passed by all three commissioners. We are grateful to have jumped that final hurdle. Now, the real work begins. As we start to actively ask the community for support, it is …
May 2018 Message
We are telling a lot of really great stories lately, stories of our people rising above their disabilities and finding their abilities to be successful in this community. We are telling stories of the strong family support behind their success. These are stories our community needs to see. These are GREAT stories and I am …
April 2018 Message
What do you get when you combine the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities with our families, our advocates, our providers, our partners, our schools, our board members, and our wonderful staff? Collaboration. It’s the act of working together to produce something great. And that “something great” is more inclusion for those we serve through …
March 2018 Message
March is a rewarding month for me because it is the month to celebrate those we serve in the shape of Developmental Disabilities Awareness month. We did this in several ways this year. The commissioners got to hear from Travis and Tom at their open meeting. Both shared the reasons that they like receiving services …
February 2018 Message
There is a momentum around developmental disabilities. Not just in Marion, but across the country. More than ever, I have noticed the DD world is not its own island. Toyota has included those with disabilities in their new campaign, “Start Your Impossible,” Dwayne Wayne (The Rock) is staring in a new thriller called Skyscraper where …
December 2017 Message
We’ve seen a lot of change in the developmental disabilities field during my tenure. This year was certainly no different with budget challenges and privatization, but through it all, I’m always amazed at how our organization works holistically to provide those we serve the support and resources they need to meet their goals and become …