Vision • Mission • History

Our Vision

Our Place started with a simple vision: adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be fully contributing members of their home community.

Our Mission

Our mission is to support teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities so that they can live meaningful, productive, socially connected lives in their home community.

Our History

In 2008 this vision and mission were radical ideas. However, a group of parents and community members joined together to realize their vision. They created Our Place with a start-up grant from New Trier Township and donations from families and members of the community.

The primary goal is to ensure that participants develop a variety of relationships, build the skills, and gain the experiences they need to be fully contributing members of their community. And have fun while doing it.

Being in the center of town was and is a priority. Programs are run from a historic building in the heart of Wilmette, but the real program site is the community. More than half of the activities offered are in the community, alongside neighbors.

What makes Our Place different?

Making the community stronger:

Through engagement in a wide range of community activities, Our Place increases awareness and acceptance of residents who have disabilities. Participants, staff, and volunteers working in teams, add over 4000 hours of community service, including operating the Township food pantry. They invest over $500,000 in their local community every year.

This changes the perception of the role individuals with disabilities can play in their community.

Building Meaningful Relationships:

Study after study shows that good social relationships are the strongest predictor of a happy, healthy life. A typical person has at least 150 social relationships. A person with an intellectual and developmental disability has around 10. Most of these are family members.

Our Place participants have 50 – 100 social relationships. These social networks enable them to fully engage and build natural supports in their community.