Community Options

Community Options, Inc. is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit organization.^[1] that provides housing and employment supports ^[2] to people with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury. The organizations headquarters are located in Princeton, NJ. In 2015 Community Options was named the fourth-largest nonprofit organization based in New Jersey.^[3]

History

The organization was founded in 1989 by Robert Stack, the President and CEO, along with a small group of disability advocates to create residential and employment supports for individuals with disabilities. In 2008 the organization supported over 1,400 people with disabilities.^[4] Community Options, Inc. also advocates for the de-institutionalization movement. The organization states that all people with disabilities should live in community-based settings and be released from out-of-state-run institutions ^[5]

Robert Stack was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania in 1955. He attended St. Fidelis Seminary in Butler, Pennsylvania for the priesthood. During this time, he volunteered to work with children with significant disabilities every Saturday and Wednesday afternoon. He dropped out of the Seminary and after graduating from the University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio), went to Kent State (Kent, Ohio) to study Philosophy. In 1979 he left to work for the State of New York at the Suffolk Developmental Center as a Recreational Aid in the institution. He opened the first two state-operated group homes on the grounds of the institution. He was hired as the Executive Assistant to the Director of the Division of Mental Retardation in 1981. He wrote the original white paper converting the Division of Mental Retardation to the Division of Developmental Disabilities. It was the first time New Jersey government recognized Autism as a treatable and fundable disability.

Stack was youngest Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy for the entire state in 1984. He founded UCP of Mercer (now enable) UCP of Morris and UPC of Atlantic and Cape May County. He was appointed as the Deputy Director over all the institutions for NJ by Eddie C. Moore in 1987. Stack closed the first institution in New Jersey in Middlesex County.

After the death of Eddie Moore, Stack became a consultant and in 1988 formed an exploratory group to look at the lack of services for people with significant disabilities in NJ, Texas, NY, PA and Tennessee. He incorporated Community Options with friends from both University of Dayton and Kent State in 1989. In 1990 Stack introduced John F. Kennedy Jr. to the Rehabilitation Conference participants for over 2,000 in Albany, New York.

In 1992, Community Options opened their first four group homes in New Jersey. From 1995 to 2011, group homes were opened in six other states including Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.^[6] The New Jersey House of Representatives honored Community Options for their 25 years of service on February 10, 2014^[7] The 48th Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean was honored by Community Options on May 8, 2014 with the presentation of The Betty Pendler Award for all his years of service dedicated to people with disabilities^[8]

Cupid’s Chase 5K

Cupid’s Chase 5K is an annual fundraising race presented by Community Options, Inc.^[9] It takes place every year on the Saturday of Valentine’s Day weekend. Cupid’s Chase 5K began in Princeton University’s Jadwin Gymnasium in 2009.^[10][11] In 2014, Cupid’s Chase took place in 24 cities across the country.^[12]

Services

Community Options operates several businesses in the United States that employs people with disabilities.^[13] Community Options opened Vaseful, a nonprofit flower shop, in 1999. Employees are responsible for credit card processing, phone orders, shipping, distribution, inventory management and floral arranging.^[14] In 2008, Community Options opened Presents of Mind, a nonprofit gift store. Employees' duties include retail management, point-of-sale software, customer relations skills and store layout.^[15] The Daily Plan It is an office and conference space for local businesses. Employees are responsible for customer service and facilities maintenance. The first Daily Plan It opened in Princeton, NJ in 1997.^[16] Community Options and the Parents Group opened The Red Ribbon Academy in 2013. The Red Ribbon Academy medical day program provides medical, therapeutic and recreational supports to people with severe developmental disabilities.^[17]

iMatter Conference

Community Options hosts an annual national conference to discuss services to people with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury. Guest speakers in the past have included Jennifer Velez, Fran Harris, Judy Woodruff, Sean Stephenson, Colleen Wieck and Lou Greenwald. Topics include employment, business development, accessible housing, program development and employee hiring and retention.

Betty Pendler Award

Each spring, Community Options selects a distinguished person who exemplifies the mission of Community Options as the Betty Pendler Award recipient. Betty Pendler was a member of the board of directors for the AHRC in New York City. Pendler was committed to people with disabilities, their families, and those who served them, in addition to raising a daughter with a developmental disability. Pendler died in 2001. Past recipients of the Betty Pendler Award are: Frank Zak (1991); Jane Olson (1992); Krystal Odell (1993); Karl Pfister (1994); Fran Curley (1995); Dan Fairchild (1996); David Norcross (1997); Patty Moore (1998); Peter Dulligan (1999); Madeleine Will (2000); Greg Hritz (2001); Bright Rajaratnam (2002); Mario Saenz (2003); Karen Hensley (2004); Matt Greller (2005); Reggie Shell (2006); Marge Brown (2007); Svetlana Repic-Qira (2008); Lisa Smith (2009); Jessica Guberman (2010); Senator Joseph Kyrillos (2011); Christopher Dixon (2012); Brian Dion (2013); Thomas H. Kean (2014); Elaine Katz (2015); Senator Robert Gordon and Gail Balph Gordon (2016).

References