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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate the Barbara Olson Center | ||||||
| 4 | of Hope on the occasion of its 75th anniversary; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, In 1948, the School of Hope was started by the | ||||||
| 6 | Rockford Parents Group to provide education for children who | ||||||
| 7 | were considered unable to learn; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, In 1972, the School of Hope was renamed the | ||||||
| 9 | Barbara Olson Center of Hope to reflect its changing direction | ||||||
| 10 | to serve anyone with a developmental disability, including | ||||||
| 11 | adults, while offering a variety of programs to teach | ||||||
| 12 | participants vocational skills, including offsite programs | ||||||
| 13 | that provide opportunities to go into communities and learn | ||||||
| 14 | practical skills; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, In 2008, the Barbara Olson Center of Hope won the | ||||||
| 16 | Excelsior Award, an honor bestowed upon an organization or | ||||||
| 17 | institution whose work has a positive effect on life in the | ||||||
| 18 | Rock River Valley; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, The Barbara Olson Center of Hope has remained | ||||||
| 20 | dedicated to the community through its Volunteer Center, which | ||||||
| 21 | arranges volunteer opportunities at a number of programs and | ||||||
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| 1 | organizations, including Meals on Wheels and the Rock River | ||||||
| 2 | Valley Food Pantry; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, The Barbara Olson Center of Hope has expanded its | ||||||
| 4 | commitment to vocational skills through its Hope Industries, | ||||||
| 5 | offering a variety of subcontractor jobs from around the | ||||||
| 6 | country through which individuals have the opportunity to | ||||||
| 7 | learn work and life skills while earning a paycheck; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, Through the dedication of its members and the | ||||||
| 9 | growing popularity of its consumers, the Barbara Olson Center | ||||||
| 10 | of Hope has branched off by creating GourMutts, a robust and | ||||||
| 11 | flourishing program that sells flavored dog treats and from | ||||||
| 12 | which all proceeds benefit the organization's participants and | ||||||
| 13 | programs; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, In 2023, the Barbara Olson Center of Hope will | ||||||
| 15 | celebrate 75 years of dedicated service to individuals with | ||||||
| 16 | developmental disabilities within the Rockford region; | ||||||
| 17 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 19 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 20 | we congratulate the Barbara Olson Center of Hope on the | ||||||
| 21 | occasion of its 75th anniversary, and we recognize the | ||||||
| 22 | organization for its continued commitment to the development | ||||||
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| 1 | and upliftment of individuals with developmental disabilities; | ||||||
| 2 | and be it further | ||||||
| 3 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 4 | presented to Barbara Olson Center of Hope as an expression of | ||||||
| 5 | our esteem and respect. | ||||||