Wheaton mayor leads ribbon cutting for DoodleBug Workshop Vocational Training Center

On Friday, May 5, Wheaton Mayor Phil Suess presided over the ribbon cutting and open house for the DoodleBug Workshop at 314 S. Main St. Supporters gathered for the festivities which included Mexican food and drink.

Delayed for two years, this occasion celebrates DoodleBug Workshop's move from a two-car garage in Wheaton in spring 2020 to a four-room vocational training center for people with disabilities - right in the heart of downtown Wheaton.

Sarah Starke, the mother of a young adult with an intellectual disability, started the workshop to give her son and others, ages 16 years and older with disabilities, an opportunity to develop their potential and go beyond what society expected of them.

The workshop teaches participants how to use tools to create beautiful practical and decorative products from wood and other materials, including resin.

Skills learned range from painting and assembly to using a range of power tools. Horticulture is part of the curriculum along with service to the community. Participants are welcome from DuPage County and beyond.

Mayor Suess spoke after the ribbon was cut. "Sarah's motto is 'Changing Lives One Tool at a Time.' I want to thank you for your involvement and your commitment to our community. You're doing the right thing - you're helping people.

"We are a very caring community - Wheaton - we do things for the right reasons," Suess said. "What Sarah is doing here, with the help of her volunteers, is making our community better and we appreciate it."

Starke said they look forward to growing the program to serve more people but they need the help of more volunteers, sponsors and donors.

For information about DoodleBug Workshop, visit www.doodlebugworkshop.com. The Facebook page, TheDoodleBugWorkshop, shows the day-to-day activities that go on at the workshop.