NONPROFIT $1.75M donation helps area Easter Seals

A $1.75 million donation from the David and Molly Pyott Foundation allowed Easterseals Southern California to break ground Friday as officials convert the Santa Ana headquarters into an adult day services center.

The Southern California branch of the national Easter Seals organization, which provides support services to people with disabilities or other special needs, relocated its corporate office to Irvine on Monday. Its formal name became Easterseals in 1967.

The Santa Ana center is expected to serve up to 200 individuals with developmental disabilities and will have features like a cafe, a computer lab, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces,and fitnessspaces.

"There's a need to support people in Santa Ana and the surrounding communities with adult day services and offer people with disabilities opportunities to be fully included in their community," Kathleen Kolenda, regional vice president of adult day services, said. "Our location is ideal with access to community resources and opportunities for people to participate in and engage."

The current office building will be redesigned by H. Hendy Associates of Newport Beach. The renovations and mortgage will be covered by the donation from the Pyott Foundation.

Molly Pyott, a board chairwoman for the organization, said in a statement, "The original Santa Ana corporate office location holds a special place in the hearts of the staff and board members of Easterseals Southern California. Transforming the property into a state-of-the-art, adult day services center has elicited tremendous feelings of pride for us all. The expansion of important, life-changing services will create profoundly positive differences for people with disabilities in our community."

Easterseals Southern California provides aid to over 10,000 throughout the area. The nonprofit has 21 adult day services sites throughout Los Angeles, Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties, with one Orange County location in Brea that serves about 200 individuals. The organization also has programs like day care for children with disabilities or helping transition returning veterans back into their communities.

Easter Seals reports that an estimated 1,700 people in the region use the adult day services, which promote participation in the community and teach life skills that allow people with disabilities to become more independent.