Ottawa Friendship House offers engaging, hands-on programs designed to build confidence, independence, and everyday life skills. Participants enjoy meaningful activities that include life-building skills, creative arts, crafts, and enrichment experiences that encourage self-expression and personal growth.
Each program is thoughtfully rooted in routine, dignity, and community—because learning, creativity, and connection are at the heart of a good, fulfilling life for everyone.
Community Day Services provide a warm, engaging day program where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are encouraged to grow, connect, and discover new possibilities. Each person is supported in reaching personal goals, building friendships, and taking part in meaningful, joy-filled activities. Our dedicated staff takes the time to truly know each individual—honoring their interests, talents, personality, and vocational dreams—so every Person Centered Plan (PCP) reflects not just goals on paper, but the whole person behind them.
Day Trip to Boggios Orchard
To learn more about this program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Joy Hutchinson, Director of Community Day Services, at 815-434-0737 extension 1160 or email her at joyh@ottawafriendship.com.
At Ottawa Friendship House, we partner closely with Service, Inc. of Illinois to help individuals and families begin the process of accessing disability services. In Illinois, children as young as age three may be added to the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) list. If you are seeking services, please contact the number for the region in which you reside. An Individual Service Coordinator (ISC) will then be assigned to guide you through the process. To be eligible for placement on the PUNS list, an individual must have a qualifying diagnosis established before the age of 22, and proper documentation from a licensed physician or psychologist is required. The PUNS list serves as a statewide waiting list for individuals who are planning for or seeking Developmental Disability Waiver services through the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS).
Below is a list of contacts to reach out to in order to start the intake process for services and placement on the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Service (PUNS) list. PUNS is a statewide database that records information about individuals with developmental disabilities who are planning for or seeking services through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Division of Developmental Disabilities.
Region A: Rockford
Phone Number: 815-339-0740
Included Counties: Lasalle, Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, DeKalb, Lee, Whiteside, Ogle, Carrol, McHenry, Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson and JoDavies
Region E: Lombard
Phone Number: 630-425-2350
Included Counties: Kane, Kendall and Dupage
Region F: Joliet
Phone Number: 815-741-0800
Included Counties: Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and Livingston
Our Community Employment Program is proud to partner with the Milestones Program through DRS. Working closely together, our Director of Employment & Outreach Services and dedicated Employment Specialists thoughtfully match job opportunities with each individual’s strengths and abilities, creating meaningful, long-term employment relationships. From the first step to ongoing success, we are committed to supporting each person every step of the way.
To learn more about this program, please contact Allison Perez, Director of Employment & Outreach Services, at 815-434-0737 extension 1140 or email her at allisonp@ottawafriendship.com.
