Smaller homes for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities is the goal of a new fund drive. Over the weekend, The Arc of the Quad Cities kicked off an effort to raise 800,000 dollars called, "Building Homes - Welcoming Opportunities."
Director of Development, Sarah Wright, says The Arc wants to build small group homes called CILA's, which stands for Community Integrated Living Arrangement. They're designed for up to 8 residents, and a full-time staff, and are the latest "step away" from the larger state institutions of the past.
"And now the feeling is people with disabilities really need to have a chance to have housing options entrenched in the communities, in even smaller group sizes. So that's where these CILA homes provide that niche."
She says the smaller facilities will make it easier for clients of The Arc to go to work, to school, and to be "real" residents of the community.
The Arc already has money to build 4 CILA's, and this fund drive will make it possible to add a 5th - all will be built in Moline and Rock Island. The kick-off for the fund drive on Saturday was the Color Me Happy 5-K Run, organized and sponsored by Walgreens.