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Providing Opportunities for a Lifetime
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In 1962 the Opportunity Training Center was established in an old stucco church building at 101 Chestnut Street to provide vocational training for people with developmental disabilities.
The center trained an average of 25 to 35 people at a time, ranging in age from 16 to 58. The training period was typically 50 weeks. Trainees learned to fill out time cards, obey safety rules, and how to handle money and paychecks. Woodworking, assembling small devices, weaving, sewing and envelope stuffing were just a few of the skills taught. A psychologist was employed to do testing and evaluation of the trainees. By the end of 1974, 217 trainees had been successfully placed in jobs and were earning competitive wages.
Valley Day Care Center was established in 1964 with Mrs. Sadie Fitts as director. Seven children from 7 to 16 years of age were enrolled.
In 1970, Mrs. Robert Wolfeil was named to direct the new Ability Development Center located at 1112 2nd Avenue North. The center provided educational opportunities for youth over the age of 16.
Valley Thrift Shoppe opened on August 18, 1970 at 1702 12th Avenue North (one block south of the El Roco). The store, run entirely by volunteers, was extremely popular and made a profit of $4,000 in its first year of operation. To meet the public demand, another location was added and business continued to thrive. At one point, Valley Thrift Shoppe had four locations and a bridal shop in Grand Forks.
In 1974, Agassiz Enterprises was formed though a merger of the Opportunity Training Center, Valley Day Care and the Ability Development Center. The rehabilitation facility for people with mental and/or physical handicaps provided training for either competitive or sheltered work.
In 1979, the VAR Collection Operation was opened at 1919 Dyke Avenue to collect recyclable cardboard, computer cards, paper and rags. At the time, it was the only operation of its kind in North Dakota. In 1981 the operation began recycling aluminum cans, as well. The all-volunteer management at VAR Collection regularly employed clients of Agassiz Enterprises.
By 1994, the profitability of recycling aluminum cans had decreased significantly, resulting in the closure of VAR Collection Operation.
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The Lawsuit
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In 1980, while the national trend was to move people with developmental disabilities out of institutions, North Dakota’s state-operated institutions at Grafton and San Haven continued to house upwards of 1,200 people – over twice the national per capita average.
For years, the state refused to develop outbound programs for placing residents in communities. Political leaders refused to listen and conditions became so bad that on September 26, 1980, The Arc of North Dakota filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota (The Arc of North Dakota vs. Olson ). That litigation virtually defined North Dakota’s modern system of residential and community services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
On August 31, 1982, the landmark decision in The Arc of North Dakota vs. Olson was issued by Judge Bruce Van Sickle, finding that the care, treatment and facilities at the Grafton State School and San Haven violated the constitutional rights of the residents. North Dakota was ordered by the court to begin moving people with developmental disabilties from the state-operated institutions into community programs.
That same year, The Arc, Upper Valley began construction of four group homes in Grand Forks through a HUD Section 202 loan. The group homes, Parkview, Rosewood, Northview and Southview, were managed by Development Homes, Inc. and were occupied by July 1983. The group homes were donated to Development Homes, Inc. in 1994.
In November of 1994, the Master’s Panel issued a decision finding that state officials had substantially complied with the District Court Order, even though deficiencies continued to exist. In 1995, Judge Bruce Van Sickle adopted the Panel’s findings and ended his supervision of the lawsuit.
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Continued Growth
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Charitable Gaming became a source of funding for The Arc, Upper Valley in 1982 with the opening of Dallas North (now the location of Sensations) and Steak ‘n Stein (now the location of GF Goodribs) in Grand Forks.
Donations continued to make their way to Valley Thrift Shoppe at a phenomenal pace. As clothing donations arrived, so did fashions from days gone by. This growing reserve of unfashionable apparel didn’t sell, but was the inspiration for the Make Believe Room, a costume rental store that opened in 1983.
In 1984, The Arc, Upper Valley established the first supported employment program in the state of North Dakota. The Technical Employment Program provided job-specific, on-site training, assistance and support for adults with disabilities who had difficulty in obtaining and sustaining jobs. .
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The Arc, Upper Valley also gave life to the first self-advocacy group in North Dakota, called We Unite. The group emerged as a leader in the self-advocacy movement, assisting others in making life decisions and speaking out for themselves. We Unite achieved the ultimate in self-advocacy in 1998 when it became an independent organization, now known as Friends United.
Everyone Counts, a disabilities awareness program, was established in 1992. The presentation, featuring puppets with various disabilities, was given to thirteen elementary schools, including those at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The puppets also made an appearance in July 1992 at Forks-Fest. The message was “Maybe we don’t all talk the same, and maybe we don’t all walk the same, but all people need to know that Everyone Counts!” The program received high praise from area teachers.
The documentary drama “Abolition of Shame: A North Dakota Homecoming,” was produced by the The Arc, Upper Valley in 1993 to educate the public about the significant progress that had been made in North Dakota during the past decade in the treatment of persons with developmental disabilities and how community integration provided social and economic benefits to the state of North Dakota. The documentary aired on all major television networks in North Dakota during prime time
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Pursuing the Promise
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