discoveryliving

In the mid-1970’s, parents in Linn County who had adult sons and daughters with developmental disabilities looked to the future with serious concerns. The local community had a growing variety of specialized programs, but residential services, such as small group homes, were few in number. Those that did exist were already full and had long waiting lists of people wanting to live there.
councils had been participating in a national project to raise funds for people with disabilities through an annual “Tootsie Roll Fund Drive”. The effort was very successful in Linn County, raising thousands of dollars each year. The desire was to use these funds to meet the needs of local people with disabilities. Representatives from the Knights of Columbus decided to meet with members of the local Association for Retarded Citizens

Parents at The ARC were very clear: their #1 priority was the creation of more community-based housing for adults with developmental disabilities. In 1977, The Knights of Columbus formed a non-profit organization called Discovery Village (which would one day be renamed Discovery Living, Inc.) to meet this need.