Friends of JCDS was born on Valentine’s Day, 1990 to fulfill these major purposes:

• Establish an alliance between people interested in the issues and challenges facing the developmental disability community;
• Foster public awareness and support for JCDS, the Friends of JCDS and the people they serve;
• Encourage charitable giving to aid in the delivery of quality services to people with developmental disabilities;
• Develop and maintain wheelchair accessible housing for people with physical as well as developmental disabilities;
• Promote research and education aimed at treating and preventing mental retardation;

Supporting people with developmental disabilities is a lifelong endeavor, and funding is always in short supply! Through Friends, JCDS has been able to expand its base of support to meet widening funding gaps in many critical areas. Each year, the Friends of JCDS distributes funds for specific programs, activities and services to Johnson County residents with developmental disabilities. These funds, raised through charitable contributions from the community, have provided support for wheelchair-accessible housing, direct emergency assistance to consumers, transportation, innovative programs and equipment, healthy lifestyles, and consumer recreation.

View the 2008 Annual Report