By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
A Findlay-based nonprofit’s services for adults with developmental disabilities has added a location in Bowling Green at the Woodland Mall.
Bowling Green was selected for the Kan Du Group’s third adult day support site to offer services to Wood County residents, said Kevin Lewis, director of operations.
“Our mission is to help these individuals achieve greater independence and community integration,” he said.
Kan Du Group welcomes approximately 110 people daily from Wood, Wyandot, Hardin, Hancock and Putnam counties for adult day support in Bowling Green, Findlay and Leipsic, and vocational training and community employment services in Findlay.
The Bowling Green location was established in February 2024 to offer additional opportunities to Wood County residents.
“We were serving a lot of people from Wood County and transporting them to Findlay, so when the (Wood) county board was looking for more local providers, we decided to try Bowling Green,” Lewis said. The mall location provides ample space for various activities as well as future growth.
The location also shortens the transport for some of the people from the Bowling Green area who were going to Findlay for their adult day habilitation services.
Kan Du hopes to attract more Wood County residents from the northern part of the county, for which the Findlay location was considered too far and too long for individuals to travel.
Currently, about a dozen individuals attend the Bowling Green facility, where they are engaged in art projects, group activities and regular outings to local businesses between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.
On Presidents’ Day, several participants were painting, one pair was making a button jar, and another man was helping display some of their creations in the front window.
Lewis said they plan to add a 3-D printer and laser engraver to expand the in-house activity options for the Bowling Green participants, with a goal to offer a point-of-sale opportunity for the public to purchase the artwork and made items.
Services start with WCBDD
Access to Kan Du Group services “starts at the county board level when somebody is interested in support services and says, ‘Hey, I’m looking for a new opportunity,” he explained. A service and support administrator (SSA) at the Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities starts the process to help individuals and their families identify needs and connect them to community resources.
Kan Du Group is one of the options available to Wood County residents. The agency was born from the former Blanchard Valley Industries after the state decided to privatize all of the day support programs, adult day support and vocational programs from the county boards, he said.
“It’s very much a choice-driven decision. We are here whenever the opportunity arises for people to visit,” Lewis said. “We have internal activities that you’ll see whenever you walk through the facility.”
Promoting community engagement
“We are always looking for ways for them to go out and have fun,” Lewis said, which is why community engagement is a vital piece of the programming the organization offers.
“You and I have something like 150 connections in our community that we can call on whenever we need them, whether it’s going out to dinner or needing a car repair,” he said. Individuals with developmental disabilities are said to have about 25 community connections.
“I’m always challenging our staff to think about how we can help them find number 26, 27, 28, a little at a time,” he said. “Maybe we can help them so when they leave our doors they can find other connections to keep them engaged and happy.”
They regularly visit locations like the BGSU Recreation Center or Al-Mar Lanes, but the staff welcomes engagement from local organizations and businesses that can provide opportunities for education and interactions in the community.
Vocational opportunities available in Findlay
Several Wood County residents with developmental disabilities attend Kan Du Group’s vocational program in Findlay to develop work skills and/or participate in transitional enclaves, or training opportunities with local businesses.
The State of Ohio’s goal is Employment First, “which doesn’t mean employment only, but it is a conversation about what job they might want to do,” he said. “Finding out what they like to do and trying to match them up with that and get them the training that they need is fun, exciting and also challenging.”
Future plans for BG location
Lewis said the agency will continue to expand its Bowling Green facility and introduce new activities to demonstrate Kan Du Group’s commitment to growth and innovation.
One of the ideas in the development stages is an innovative music program for participants. The idea received a boost from the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce when they presented a grant for the program.
“We want to be innovative and on the cutting edge,” whether that is with technology or other programming, he said. “Our vision is to be a center of excellence for the individuals and populations we serve,” he added. “We want the public to know that we’re here for the long haul to be servant leaders in the community.”
The Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce will officially welcome Kan Du Group during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday (Feb. 21) at 11 a.m. The location is next to the Alehouse Grill inside the mall at 1234 N. Main St. Registration is requested.
