Improve Health and Education for People with Disabilities

We need your help to provide 200 men and women with intellectual disabilities with reliable transportation to and from doctor's appointments, community jobs, and enrichment activities.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are living longer than ever due to advancements in medical care. As people with disabilities age, they require more care. OPTIONS is giving these people the quality care they deserve, but they need your donations to keep helping everyone under their roof. OPTIONS currently cares for 200 men and women with disabilities. They help people with job training and placement, provide health and wellness education, and run enrichment activities. They also provide reliable transportation to and from these events as well as to doctor's appointments and residential living programs.

There are currently NO public transportation providers who can meet the special needs of individuals served by OPTIONS. This is why OPTIONS needs your help to raise funds for more wheelchair accessible vehicles in order to keep up with the growing number of their clients that use the transportation program.

One of the people that relies on OPTIONS is Mary Ann (pictured to the right). Mary Ann was two weeks old when she was placed in foster care and diagnosed with scoliosis of the spine. Mary Ann's foster sister took over caring for her when her foster guardian passed away, but she couldn't be there for her sister 24/7. When Mary Ann's sister learned of OPTIONS, she was ecstatic to be able to take her sister somewhere Mary nn would be taken care of during the day while she was at work. In 2002, Mary Ann was hospitalized due to upper respiratory issues, but quickly bounced back and was able to return to OPTIONS, where the nurses and staff helped her manage her diet and lifestyle to prevent further health problems. Mary Ann relies on OPTIONS and their transportation program to take her to important doctor's appointments to keep her health up.

You can help. Your donations will help in a number of ways - from covering the cost of transportation to providing specialized education for people with disabilities to help them learn how to manage their disabilities. Donate today and help people like Mary Ann live their best lives.

Make your donation of $5 or more an ongoing gift by checking the "Make this a Monthly Gift" box before adding it to your cart, and you will help improve the quality of care for people with disabilities at OPTIONS.

OPTIONS is a self-reliant, nonprofit agency started by parents looking for community based services for their children with disabilities. For over 45 years, OPTIONS mission is to help people with developmental and intellectual disabilities live and work in the community. OPTIONS serves almost 200 people with disabilities through a variety of services: job placement/training, health & wellness education, enrichment/community inclusion, day programs (meaningful work and activities), reliable transportation and residential living programs. Transportation is a critical service due to the physical and intellectual disabilities. OPTIONS vehicles go the distance (13,500 miles per week) to bring over 150 people with disabilities to doctor's appointments, community jobs or enrichment activities.