AID celebrates 50 years serving the Fox Valley
Michele Goggin sat in the middle of a warehouse facility on Bowes Road in Elgin Monday, sorting small white nails. Her work partner weighed a pile and passed her enough to fill plastic containers, separating out any “rejects” that came through. Every now and then another employee would replenish their supply.
After Goggin had a load of presorted and packaged nails, she would send them to another table where they would get a label and continue through the modified assembly line.
Projects like this keep Goggin and other Association for Individual Development clients busy and employed on a daily basis with contract work for businesses in the area. The organization — which serves those with developmental disabilities or mental illness — is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week with open houses at three of its locations in Elgin, Aurora and Yorkville.
Goggin, 57, has benefited from AID’s support for the last 22 years. She lives in a group home in Elgin — one of 31 AID operates throughout the Fox Valley.
“It’s offering a safe haven for our clients who, a lot of times, get taken advantage of out in the community,” said Kathy Sommer, a support person for Goggin’s home. “We’re able to support them and advocate for them and make sure they maintain their benefits.”
Goggin said there are ups and downs, like in any home, but she likes her living arrangement and appreciates what she gets from AID.
“When I go up to my room, I call it my sanctuary,” said Goggin, who is developmentally disabled.
AID serves more than 5,400 clients in 45 communities. But it wasn’t always so large.
It was founded in 1961 as the Aurora Association for the Mentally Retarded. It functioned as a school with eight children and one teacher.
“The growth of the organization has been tremendous,” said Wanda Thomas, who was hired in 1974 and is now the senior vice president of programs and services.
AID started with a focus on those with developmental disabilities but now includes those with mental illness. It provides other services, such as a 24-hour crisis line.
Because of its scope, individuals are able to get support from AID for their entire lives. Children who start out with developmental therapy or in-home support can continue getting help to develop independent living skills later in life. They can move into AID group homes or get their own apartment with intermittent support from staff people.
Like Goggin, they can even get a paycheck for work they do through AID’s work programs.
“One of my greatest joys comes from working with families for solutions that will take care of their sons and daughters for a lifetime,” Thomas said.
Gina Richter’s daughter Kim has developmental and physical disabilities that mean she will always need support. Richter, of Huntley, said she and her family have been relying on AID since her daughter was 9 years old.
In the face of dwindling state and federal budgets, organizations like AID are constantly in danger of losing funding to provide what their clients see as essential services. Richter’s family spent time in Springfield advocating for that funding Monday.
“Am I going to wait and hope that the state is going to do their best? I don’t think so,” Richter said. “I need to have something in place and somebody I can trust to take care of her when I’m not here.”
For Richter, and many parents throughout the Fox Valley, AID is the organization she can trust.