It’s been a long road to independence for Paul Berresheim who, as a young child, attended a small class in the basement of the United Methodist Church in Park Ridge. That was more than 50 years ago.

 

This innovative class was sponsored by an organization known back then as the Park Ridge Aid for Retarded Children (PRARC). It provided a welcome opportunity for children like Paul. With few programs available in the public school system for children with special need , PRARC provided the youngsters basic education and much-needed lessons in life skills.

 

When the agency first incorporated in 1953, the class was called the William Frederick School, as a memorial to the son of one of its founding parents. In 1954 a class for young adults was formed and was named Park Ridge Vocational Training Shelter. The name was changed in 1956 to Northwest Suburban Aid for the Retarded, (NSAR) and changed once again in 1995 to, more appropriately, Avenues to Independence.

 

By the early 1970s, children with developmental disabilities were given the right to a public education. It was then the agency began to focus all its efforts on programs for adults.

Today, Avenues offers a variety of residential, employment and community-living programs to several hundred adults with developmental disabilities. Our residential programs offer participants the opportunity to live in a community among family, friends, and neighbors. Avenues Industries in Wheeling provides employment to more than 160 workers. Currently, there are 70 people in the Avenues job placement program working in the community.

 

More than five decades since its doors first opened, Avenues has evolved from a novel concept to a dynamic presence in the community. Our headquarters at 515 Busse Highway in Park Ridge at the Jane and Albert Wohlers Center is a beacon for those who seek support and opportunity.