In honor of the organization’s 10th anniversary, Executive Director Amanda Owen announced that Puzzle Pieces will kick off 2022 with a goal to reach $300,000 in fundraising by holding 10 fundraising events.
New events they are planning include a ladies bunco night, a penny drive, a T-shirt and Christmas ornament fundraiser, a fall festival, and more.
“When we started this nonprofit 10 years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be standing here today,” Owen said. “This fundraising campaign is dreaming big, but that is what we encourage our clients to do every day. And we have our sights set on the next 10 years and all of the things we intend to accomplish next.”
Puzzle Pieces, a nonprofit that serves individuals with intellectual disabilities, opened its doors in September 2012, serving 32 clients with just a handful of staff. At the time, Owen left her job as a full-time special education teacher to offer individuals like her brother, who has a rare chromosomal disability, and her students a place beyond school to socialize and grow.
Today the nonprofit has expanded to serve nearly 300 clients with a team of nearly 75 staff members. What began as just a social program for individuals with disabilities has grown into an established nonprofit that Owen said provides “life-changing services” like vocational training, residential living, employment placement, behavior services and the region’s only targeted autism programming.”
“The growth we have seen is nothing short of extraordinary,” Owen said. “I expect the next 10 years to be the same.”
