Little City celebrates ribbon cutting for Countryside Center
Little City celebrated the official ribbon cutting for its new Countryside Center Thursday, marking a major milestone for the agency and those they serve.
Little City's Countryside Center, 2360 Palmer Drive, in Schaumburg, serves nearly 250 people with developmental disabilities every day. The 30,000 square-foot facility includes vocational skill training that prepares workers for a community employment, senior programming to enhance quality of life and provide social opportunities and support programming for those with severe developmental disabilities.
Shawn Jeffers, executive director of Little City, said the new location will make a major difference for those with developmental disabilities and lead to more opportunities for community employment and independent lifestyles.
"This center was specifically designed so that all of our programs operate as efficiently, effectively and as safe as possible," Jeffers said. "It's a rare opportunity to have the resources needed to create a space that allows you to check off all the items on your wish list, but because of the generous donations and hard work of dozens of people, our dream became a reality."
The new center was possible thanks to the merger of Countryside Association and Little City that happened in the summer of 2016. Countryside leadership played a vital part in moving their industry-leading services from their longtime home in Palatine to the new Schaumburg center.
The proximity to Little City's main campus in Palatine has already opened doors for some residents, especially seniors who now have access to more social, mental, physical and volunteer activities through the Countryside Center.
Little City plans to expand crossover programming between those at the Countryside Center and Little City residents to create opportunities that would not have been possible without the close proximity of the two locations.
About Little City
For nearly 60 years, Little City has been a leader in providing essential services to people with developmental disabilities. Today, Little City serves more than 1,000 people with locations in Palatine, Schaumburg, Waukegan and Chicago in addition to community homes located throughout Cook and DuPage Counties. Programs include vocational training and employment placement, foster care and adoption, home-based family support, health and wellness, recreation and Special Olympics, a therapeutic day school and an award-winning arts program. For more, visit www.littlecity.org.