Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/1034327
25 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com Ed Perry "Making Lives Better…One Person at a Time" is the phrase that defines and describes 30 years of work by Road to Responsibility ("RTR"), one of the region's largest and most successful non- profit organizations. With its Making Lives Better Gala on September 21 at the Granite Links Golf Course in Quincy, RTR celebrated its accomplishments and thanked the thousands of people along the way who have helped them in their ongoing mission. For RTR, "Making Lives Better…One Person at a Time" is more than a slogan: it's the blueprint that has guided it from its early days in 1988 to present-day, with the Marshfield- based organization supporting over 1,200 individuals from 100 different cities and towns in Massachusetts. With a staff of more than 700 human services professionals and an annual budget of $40 million, RTR has built upon its success to become one of the largest developmental disabilities service providers in the state, as well a major regional employer. During the 1990s to early 2000s, RTR grew rapidly while also realigning the services provided. The formal "recreation" services were discontinued and replaced with new service options including day habilitation and community programs. These programs offered (and still offer) opportunities for therapeutic day supports for people who are older or more physically/medically disabled. These are still critical to the care we provide, especially because we care for an aging population. We also expanded our core residential and employment services. Despite RTR's many accomplishments, serious financial strains have posed challenges to the organization over the years, through funding cuts and the economy. These challenges have encouraged our organization to be more streamlined, resilient, and creative which has helped us focus on advancing our mission and providing high quality services to all who need them. We took steps to become thought and advocacy leaders in our sector, established career development initiatives for our employees and expanded our relationships in the community with our corporate partners, volunteers, and supporters. People now know we are not only a nonprofit, but also an employer, partner and a resource in the broader community. Today, RTR continues to grow. We support over 1,000 individuals from more than 100 different cities and towns in Massachusetts (primarily throughout the South Shore and South Coast), in part through our 48 residences (plus co-operative and supportive living apartments) throughout the region, and nine day-service locations that focus on education, employment, and community enrichment. We have a staff of more than 700 human services professionals, making RTR one of the largest developmental disabilities service providers in the state – and a major regional employer. We continue to add new programs on an annual basis, especially in the area of autism services. We are widely known and respected as a leader in the field and as an organization committed to serving even the most complex and challenging people – and doing so effectively. We have also established a staff development program which includes unique opportunities to earn a bachelor's degree through Southern New Hampshire University and a master's degree in autism studies and applied behavior analysis through Endicott College's Van Loan Graduate School, for whom RTR serves as a satellite campus. We are so proud of our accomplishments these past 30 years and are looking forward to continuing to grow and change to meet continued needs of the next generation. We have our entire community to thank for helping us get this far. We know that this is not a journey we've done alone, and we know that everyone needs to work together to help us support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Thank you to everyone for believing in us, and for helping us make lives better one person at a time. Christopher T. S. White, Ed. D., is president/CEO of Road To Responsibility, Inc. ROAD TO RESPONSIBILITY, INC. 1831 Ocean Street, Marshfield Phone: 781.834.1300 Hours of Operation: 8am - 4pm www.roadtoresponsibility.org By 2008, RTR had become a large organization with an annual budget of approximately $20 million and 300 employees, providing support for approximately 400 adults with I/DD throughout the South Shore.