Lodi parent to launch day program for adults with special needs

March 23--Local residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families will soon have a place to connect and receive support from others like themselves.

Inspired by her own personal experience with her daughter, Hannah, who has such a disability, Lodi'sKathy Piazza has been working to launch The Village Adult Developmental and Community Center, which is expected to open its doors in June.

According to Piazza, 22 is the maximum age someone can attend public school and her daughter aged out about two years ago. Piazza began searching for a day program for Hannah where she could receive daily social interaction. However, there wasn't a program in Lodi that would accommodate Hannah's needs. She was born with trisomy 18, a chromosomal condition that has left her unable to walk or talk.

"Hannah is super happy and full of joy. She crawls and she chooses her own activities. She loves being with people and being out and participating in community activities and she will be home with us forever."

Only 10 percent of people born with trisomy 18 live to see their first birthday. Hannah is now 24.

After seeing there was a need in Lodi for a place for Hannah and others like her, Piazza and her husband began working to offer those services.

"I'm inspired to do this for her and for everybody else that we've met along the way during her school years," Piazza said.

The Village will be located at 25 E. Pine St., adjacent to the World of Wonders Science Museum.

"We wanted to secure our location in the heart of Downtown because we want to make it easy for our participants to get out and be a part of the community and for the community to able to find us."

According to Piazza, the plan is to open the center in the afternoons and on the weekends to anyone in the area with developmental disabilities and their caregivers, affording them the opportunity to connect, build friendships and offer and receive support. The center will serve as a gathering place for support groups and be open to the public during Downtown events, Piazza said.

"It's important to me because people with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve a great quality of life and being home all day with their family members or caregivers, that's just not a great quality of life."

With the lack of day programs available, Piazza said parents of children with disabilities are forced to make tough decisions about work because caring for them is a full-time job. Piazza said it's important that the center also serves the caregivers, because their job can be very isolating.

The Village will also offer a 61/2 hour day program available to 12 adults with disabilities. The program will provide curriculums, personal care and interaction with the community. There will be a staff member for every four program participants and job postings for the staff positions will go on The Village website and other places starting April 2.

Funding for the Village will primarily come from Valley Mountain Regional Center, which serves children and adults with developmental disabilities in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties and provides free diagnosis and assessment services to any person suspected of having an intellectual and developmental disability. The rest of funding will come from the community through private donations, local service clubs and grant writing. The Village recently received a $2,000 donation from Omega Nu. They will also hold fundraisers.

"The funds that we receive from the regional center pays for primary expenses. It will pay for our staff and our rent and all of those basic expenses," Piazza said. "Everything else we're raising is to make the program good because the equipment we need and the activities we want to do to make it a really enriched and exciting program."

Back in January, a fundraiser was held at LangeTwins Winery. The winery donated the use of its staff and tasting room and all proceeds went to the Village.

"It was pretty substantial and it was exactly what we needed because we have to show that we have at least three months of operating expenses before the state will issue us a license and let us open the doors."

On May 12, The Village will be holding a fundraising event called Kaleidoscope 2018 at McCay Cellars from 6 to 10 p.m. The event will include dinner, wine and music. During the event The Village will be open to the public for tours from 5 to 7 p.m. The Village will have pictures posted of the items they need and there will be an opportunity for those attending to participate in raffles and to make donations toward future supply purchases. Tickets for the event will go on sale March 29 and will cost $40.

In addition to fundraising, Piazza is currently working with the City of Lodi to make some upgrades to the facility. Once that work is complete, they will complete the licensing process.

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