The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD) is finding new ways of teaching its clients to become self-sufficient.
With the decline of the area's manufacturing and "sheltered workshops," new jobs are being created in agriculture, retail, the arts, and even doggy daycare.
A so-called "city farm" program uses vacant city land to raise broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers as a means of teaching new skills to persons with mental or physical challenges.
The first farm, at East 55th and Stanard, employs 10 of the agency's clients, says Lula Holt-Robertson, general manager of public information and communications for the CCBDD.
Another program operates a "dollar store" called Just-A-Buck in Parma's Midtown Plaza. Unlike the original Dollar Store, everything in Just-A-Buck is just that . . . a buck.
Plans are in place to open two more stores next year. Also slated for next year is a dog daycare and boarding facility. And HeARTworks, a store in the Galleria, markets the artwork of persons with developmental disabilities. Between the programs, from 50 to 75 persons are employed at any one time, Holt-Robertson says.
Within three to five years, the County hopes to employ 100 clients on ten city farms. A second farm will occupy property owned by City Hall, near the Free Stamp sculpture in Willard Park.
Source: Lula Holt-Robertson, CCBDD.
Writer: Patrick Mahoney