For all of us at Envision Unlimited, 2022 has been a year of breakouts. A strong comeback from challenges we overcame during the pandemic, expanding our housing programs, innovative growth of our mental health services, record success with our employment programs, supportive and resilient new staff who have joined us, and the generous donors who continue to support our work have strengthened our foundation.
Here's a snapshot of our achievements over the past year:
- Nearly 80 people gained a place to live during the last year through successful transitions from state institutions into homes and the community through our Transition Program, which served twice as many people.
- Our community living program supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities now totals 83 homes with the recent addition of 19 homes in the southwest suburbs 110 more members.
- New community locations, like a Recovery Drop-In Center in Oak Lawn and a spacious mental health center in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago, have opened with additional services to better support a growing, diverse population of people in need of mental health services.
- We have built new opportunities for our Children’s Autism program enabling us to serve more marginalized families who previously had no access to the care.
- Our Neighbors Program is growing in impact helping members become more integrated into the communities where they live and empowering them with greater choices, independence and inclusion.
- A new supportive housing program in Springfield has helped more than 30 people with disabilities gain and maintain and apartment in the community with on-site supportive services.
- Members interested in employment have been placed in a record number of jobs. Today more than 100 are actively engaged on work readiness skills, seeking opportunities, and working on the job an average of 20 hours per week and even more are participating in a new program helping youth with disabilities in Chicago Public Schools prepare for and gain employment as they transition from their school program.
It is gratifying to see how we have become grounded in a tradition of evolving care with empathy every time, everywhere. Each day, it means we are helping remove barriers and impacting the lives of people with intellectual, developmental and psychiatric disabilities so they can grow toward independence, experience greater inclusion and live their best lives possible. Your drive and determination have helped us to get where we are today, and we couldn't have done it without you.
Throughout the year, we are witness to unlimited potential, generosity and impact here at Envision Unlimited. As the year wraps up, we encourage you to continue to follow us for breakouts in the years to come.
Happy holidays!