Occupational Development Center

Who We Are

The mission of the Occupational Development Center is to provide high quality and cost effective not-for-profit vocational training and employment opportunities for Lancaster County adults with developmental disabilities. Through a wide variety of contacts within the Lancaster County business community, contracts for service are established.

These contracts serve as a vehicle for training program participants as well as for providing a valued service to the business community. Participation in the program enables employees to become more independent, develop appropriate job and social skills, and foster self-esteem through acknowledgment of their meaningful contribution to the community.

A primary focus of the program is to enable participants to function their least restrictive work environment. This includes transitional services for high school students just starting to explore their options in the working world, opportunities in the work activity center, community-based employment experiences through mobile work crews, customized and supported employment programs, benefits counseling, and assistance in finding and maintaining competitive employment.

While we are out in the community on a daily basis, much of the work that we do still takes place in our building at 640 Martha Avenue in Lancaster. The original part of the building was constructed for us in 1956, with additions in 1965 and 1984. As this building ages, we have some very real concerns, especially as they relate to the safety, health, and wellness of our Participants. Over the past few years your generous donations have helped us repair and upgrade some of our plumbing, as well as replace the ceiling in the front area of the building. We have been putting band-aids on band-aids, and the time has come where we really can’t do that anymore if we want to provide a safe and welcoming work environment for the folks we serve.

As you may know, we had several very strong storms with heavy rainfall this summer that revealed to us very clearly that “band-aids” would no longer be enough to hold our roof together to keep our Participants and staff safe. Several rather large leaks, some close to electrical equipment, forced us to shut down one of our areas for a few days. We had the roof patched yet again, but we are aware that we now need a full roof replacement, not just repairs. After all, the current roof is about 40 years old! And with a roof that is more than 15,000 square feet, you can imagine it is going to be a rather expensive project.

With that in mind, we are seeking to raise $150,000 to replace the roof, which will be Phase One of a much larger inside and outside renovation project, to create a safer and more work appropriate environment as we move into our next 75 years on Martha Avenue! With more new businesses moving into the area, as we sit in the shadow of the newly renovated Stehli Silk Mill, we know we need to improve our external appearance to be good stewards in our neighborhood.