ADEC Annual Report
Dear Friends of ADEC,
Like a tree planted in fertile soil with sunshine and rain, ADEC has grown and flourished, enjoying the support of a community rich both in ingenuity and caring. As is so characteristic of Elkhart County, in 1952, a group of parents with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities looked at the current system of support and decided they could do better. Seventy-two years later, ADEC is the fruit of their vision.
With a passionate team of 375 staff, ADEC annually serves more than 800 unique individuals with disabilities in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties. Our work to support full lives through residential, day programming, employment, therapeutic, transportation, and decision-making support is known as industry-leading. What else would we expect as the product of the vision and ingenuity of our community?
While this is certainly a source of pride for all who love our community and champion equal opportunity for friends and neighbors with disabilities, the true purpose and importance of an excellent community-based disabilities-serving organization is the difference it makes; its impact for those served and their families. ADEC’s work supports full lives, which are lives of opportunity, integration, growth, and contribution. We steward the trust of families who rely on our services for their loved ones.
ADEC’s continued growth and flourishing rely on its ability to adapt to its environment. Services and models adapt to the changing expectations of our society, economy, and culture. We adapted to the major disruption of the pandemic and the subsequent waves of inflation and labor market challenges. Having stood our ground, we have spent the past year strengthening and priming for growth.
And growth has come. By the end of 2024, we will be operating services out of the new ADEC Resource Center on Middleton Run Road in Elkhart. It will further modernize our approach to day programming, building vocational skills and capabilities, providing effective therapies, and running a top-notch summer camp. It grows our capacity and connects us to the community through its location on a public transit route. The ADEC Resource Center will serve as a home base for our increasingly community-based approach to providing these services.
ADEC is growing in other ways. We are launching Pre-Employment Transition Services in partnership with the South Bend Community School Corporation to ensure a smooth and productive landing for students with disabilities transitioning out of the school system. We are placing more individuals with disabilities into productive and supported employment relationships than ever before. Our day programs and residential services provide a growing number of community-based activities and engagements.
At ADEC, we are growing with our community to ensure our friends and neighbors with disabilities share in the wealth of opportunities our area offers. We have highly capable, passionate leaders ensuring we stay at the front of the pack. Not for a badge, but for the sake of those who embody our mission. And to ensure we live up to the greatness of this community in which we are privileged to serve.
Chris Kingsley
President/CEO
