PORT TOWNSEND — Olympic Neighbors invites the public to a fundraising Summer Bash on Sunday.
The day of live music and dancing will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pourhouse Craft Beer Taproom and Bottle Shop, 2231 Washington St.
Admission is free. The event is for those 21 and older.
A silent auction will offer items from more than 35 local businesses, a ping-pong tournament with a trophy, food and a cash raffle prize.
Proceeds from the bash will go to supporting the individuals currently living in Olympic Neighbors-licensed adult family home (AFH) and many others served through the community inclusion program.
Local bands MerryMakers, Lowire, Port Townsend Village Drummers and Unexpected Brass Band will play sets. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Olympic Neighbors (ON) is one of the only organizations in Jefferson County operating an adult family home, according to a news release.
Each AFH in Washington can provide 24-hour support to six individuals, allowing people with disabilities to have a safe place to live in their community.
Olympic Neighbors also provides community inclusion services for developmental disabilities.
Almost 100 individuals older than 21 with developmental disabilities live in Jefferson County, many of whom live on a fixed income and need some amount of staff support with daily living tasks and to combat the elevated risk they face for isolation and abuse.
As parents and other family caregivers age, the need for local housing opportunities becomes increasingly dire.
Current funding in the state of Washington covers only 65 percent of the costs to operate an AFH, according to the news release.
“The need for housing for our developmental disability population here in Jefferson County is only increasing as existing family and caregivers age and become unable to continue caring for their loved ones,” said Olympic Neighbors board President Bob Wheeler.
“Olympic Neighbors has taken on the goal of providing housing for these important members of our community, but to do so requires the support from our whole community,” he added.
“State funding only covers so much of our needs and we are reliant on our generous community to help us fulfill our mission housing people while helping them integrate into our community as a whole.”
Olympic Neighbors is a nonprofit established in 2012 with the mission of helping people who “deserve to live, work and flourish in their community.”
The organization is committed to meeting the increasing needs of the local developmentally disabled community one person at a time.
In the past year, Olympic Neighbors opened its first licensed AFH after completing extensive renovations on a house. It is able to provide 24-hour care to six adults with developmental disabilities.
The news release said the long-term goal is to maintain this home, to create more housing opportunities in the local community and to help people with developmental disabilities be active and valued members of the community.
To learn more about Olympic Neighbors, go to www.olympic neighbors.org.
For more information, a complete list of events or to donate to this event, contact program coordinator Claudia Coppola at 706-296-4091.
