By Mark Schadenberg
WDDS is
truly one of the great organizations in Woodstock.
Woodstock
District Developmental Services has the mandate to assist in housing, training,
employment (Job Links, ARC Industries, lawn and garden care, catering, etc), family
support, and activities for mentally delayed adults living within the community
– usually in a group home in your neighbourhood.
WDDS
began in 1959.
Jumping
many years forward, in 2015 the local association is completing quite an
addition at their offices at Lansdowne Avenue and Bysham Park Road (Address:
212 Bysham Park), and coinciding with that project has began a $1.5 million
fundraising drive.
The
Woodstock Sentinel-Review (see link) published a terrific story back in
December, but I waited to pen my promotion of this capital improvement until
after the holiday season.
“Raising $1.5 million dollars will not be easy,
but we are confident that when the community sees our personal level of
commitment and the far-reaching benefits of the campaign, we will be successful
in our endeavors to make this vision a reality,” said Kathy DeWeerd in the S-R
piece.
My affiliation with WDDS goes back to the several
years I enjoyed volunteering on the committee for the (now discontinued)
Woodstock Sports Celebrity Dinner, which was an annual event for 25 years that
gained not only important funding for WDDS and its activities, including
funding summer camp participation for its membership, but I always said the
free public awareness WDDS received was priceless.
The WDDS building’s addition will include an
expansion of the kitchen for the group’s in-house catering services, plus more
meeting rooms and learning spaces.
Remember WDDS when your thoughts are on
charitable donations for 2015 as the association is a non-profit charitable
organization and while many of their programs receive funding from upper tiers
of government, a lot of their on-going programs require assistance through
fundraising efforts of the board.
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WDDS is a non-profit charitable organization that has been providing
opportunities and support for people with developmental disabilities in Oxford
County since 1959. The organization . . . began when a group of caring and
dedicated people had a vision that people with developmental disabilities
should be welcomed and included in their community. These founding members
began an organizational culture that recognized the importance of volunteerism
and community partnerships that have continued to grow and develop over the
years in response to the needs and wishes of people with a developmental
disability.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
On
their website (www.wdds.ca), look on the left side for the tab ‘Make A
Donation’, you can also research about the group and discover whether you may also
want to become a volunteer. WDDS has many fundraising events throughout the
year, including a Christmas silent auction, penny sale, and tea in late
November, plus a curling bonspiel, and the annual Flowers Of Hope campaign in
May.
The
board’s past president now is Nancy Springstead and I’ve certainly said this
before ‘you will never find a better person than Nancy’. I truly mean that. The
WDDS staff is also comprised of many dedicated and purpose-driven people with a
common goal of assisting their clients.
LINKS:
http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2014/12/15/fundraising-campaign-begins-for-15-million-project
Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . .
Destination
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