Welcome, everybody, to Midday Magazine for this Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Have your host, James here, and we're joined by right now by our great friend, Anne Lee
Peck, Director of PR and Fund Development, over at the Opportunity Development Center,
here in Wisconsin Rapids.
And how you been?
Good, good.
How about yourself?
I'm doing good.
I feel like we haven't gotten to hang out in the new year, so happy new year to you and
the staff and everybody, all the clients and everybody over at the ODC.
Love our friends over there, and I hope you guys had a great set of holidays and everything.
We did.
Now we're back on track and getting ready for a brand new year of fun and excitement.
A big year, Anne.
We're going to talk about some great events coming up in a little bit, but before we do,
we want to congratulate and celebrate 60 years.
It's a 60th anniversary.
Yep, it's a 60th anniversary this year.
Hard to believe, hard to believe, and actually, I've been there for more than half of that,
so.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
It's a 33rd anniversary with ODC, believe it or not.
That's awesome.
Congrats, Anne.
That's fantastic.
Yeah, hard to believe.
I've been there for half of its life already.
That's wild.
To think about, I'm sure, when you take a step back and think about that, I think you and
Pam could have a long conversation about that with her here and how long she's been here
and everything.
Yeah.
And to me, just as somebody who I admire that, when anybody can stay in an industry for
that long, that's impressive to me.
But even more impressive when we think about what the ODC does and the work and the impact
you're making, I don't believe that if you even tried, you could count how many lives
have been impact just by you yourself, let alone the staff and all the work that has been
done over those decades.
And this is something that I believe the community can take pride in too, because none of this
happens without an amazing community that supports the ODC.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It's amazing how things have transformed since 1965, what started out as a small group
of parents and concerned citizens wanting to do something for their adult children with
disabilities after high school and creating a work program that has just completely exploded
into just an amazing, amazing organization and agency to help support people in all aspects
of life.
It's amazing to hear the history of this organization.
It really is.
I like going through this.
For one reason, I think it's just cool and it's interesting and I think that it's something
that we can all take pride in here in Central Wisconsin.
This is part of your history too, everybody.
But also, if you are somebody who is thinking that, hey, this is something in our community
we could need.
And you know, I should get some like-minded people together and let's see what we can do
about it.
This is such a prime example of what people can do.
A grassroots kind of thing can happen when people come together on a great cause and
something that the community supports.
Yep.
Absolutely.
For sure.
It's very interesting because they're actually, so here in Wisconsin Rapids, it was actually
called the Southwood County Sheltered Workshop and so it was in a location where people with
disabilities went to perform work and not be integrated into the community.
And then in Marshfield, was Marshfield Rehabilitation Workshop.
That also provided people with disabilities, work opportunities in Marshfield.
And it was just five years after that that the two workshops merged and then became Wood
County Workshop.
And so it's just the whole evolution has been amazing and then just another five years
after that, we changed the name to Opportunity Development Center.
So we've been ODC now since 1975.
So 50 years as ODC and we are just super, super thrilled about all the changes that we've
made and the support that we're providing to people in the community.
How has the organization changed over the last 60 years from your perspective?
Yeah.
So well, as I was doing some research kind of about celebrating our 60 years, it's interesting
to me.
Our first annual report was in 1967, 1968.
We served 167 individuals with disabilities in Wood County and we offered one program
which was center-based work opportunities.
So today and back in 23, our numbers were we served over 1200 individuals in 22 Wisconsin
counties looking at the numbers for 2024.
I think we're approaching 1,500 mark of people that we've supported.
And then our programs and services have really grown.
Again, we went from one, you know, the really the focus was on work for people with disabilities.
And now our focus is how do people with disabilities participate in everyday life like everybody
else does?
And so we're, you know, more than 15, close pushing 20 different programs and services
now that we offer and have really just grown to really evolve, to support all individuals
with disabilities and all aspects of their life.
It's such an impactful thing and think about that original group back in 67 and around
that and you have a handful of people serving 167.
And right away, I think that it's got to be evident that, oh, this is a need in our communities.
This is something that we can get ahead of, that we can get on top of and here we are
where we flash forward and all the numbers that you just spoke to us there and everything.
I think it takes a minute from the sit-in.
I'm lucky I've had this numbers in front of me for a couple of days to register, but when
I first looked at them, I had to do a double take and a triple check at that.
That's really impressive.
It speaks to such groundbreaking work because we're not just talking about you helping these
individuals and empower these individuals.
That alone is amazing.
That alone is fantastic, but these individuals take the ball and run with it.
They take that and they go into the community.
They work in the community.
They do jobs that are needed in this area and jobs that they are tailor-made for quite
honestly.
I think that for a long time in our society, we didn't realize, but now thanks to the
ODC, thanks to these, just creating these opportunities, we're seeing more and more of
that impact.
There's a lot of talk in not just our area, but all rural communities about finding good
workers.
Here, the ODC is kicking them out.
They're just helping us find more and more employers and bringing that bridge between employers
and these individuals and getting them out there in the workforce.
That's just kind of scratching the surface of the work that's being done now.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I think, as I think back, again, I've been there quite some time and change is really
difficult.
Change is difficult for everybody.
I'm just super proud of how the agency has transformed and how the people we're supporting
have come along on the ride with us.
Again, change is hard and it's scary.
How do we do new things and how do we take small steps to make bigger changes across the
community?
We're just really, really thankful for all that we're doing and the support that we get
in the community.
When you first started there, could you imagine, certainly, as you mentioned, the main job
there, initially helping your clients find employment and building that bridge, the idea
that there would be one day where the ODC would be creating those jobs, ink splash, milky
market, that's pretty cool to think about.
I can't imagine that that was something that was in the, or was it in the thought process
early on?
No.
No early on.
It was bringing work to the center with local community businesses that brought the work
to ODC and then the individuals produced the work and then we sent it back.
Really I think about, if you would look in our building now, there's a small handful
of people working within the walls of ODC because really it's about getting people
jobs out in the community and getting people connected to their communities.
Just like, you were, I do on a daily basis and so it's, it really has, I've seen just
a huge transformation in the time that I've been there.
At one time you would have seen 250 people working in our building and today there's maybe
15 working in the building on some of those projects, but again, exploring all of the
things that you and I like to explore, that's what we're supporting people with disabilities
to do.
Whether that's working at a business, whether it's starting their own business, whether
it's connecting to their community or to a local group or just whatever their passion
is, so we're really excited about that.
We have so many individuals out there that all they need is an opportunity.
Give them a foot in the door and they will shine and so much of the ODC is doing that,
but that's one step of it.
Before that step, there's something that the ODC does that I think is just as noteworthy
and that's empowering these individuals, giving them confidence, the focus on mental
health and how they are doing individually as human beings.
That goes so far and when you do that, you get really good employees.
You get people that really can impact a community and add to the community.
Is that what you've seen?
Yeah, definitely and I think part of it is that, you know, we really try and work with people
where they're at.
Everybody is at different phases in their life and just different things going on in their
life and so our goal is really to get to know the individuals and support them with
whatever they need at that time to make them successful and whatever they're trying to
achieve, so I just give huge shout out and kudos to our staff that really, we support
people where they're at and what they need and be flexible around that so that everybody
has the opportunity to be successful.
And I think that one of the greater things in life, and I noticed this from a young
age and I'm seeing it even more and more nowadays, is when you speak up for the voiceless,
when you speak up for people that cannot speak for themselves or tend to not be hurt, it's
all well and good for me to come out and talk very strongly about Jewish rights or something
like that.
I got a little bit of stake in the game.
I'm probably going to do that, but it means so much more when somebody doesn't have
a stake in the game, comes out and defends that and supports that.
And it's a similar thing here with this where another thing that the ODC does has done
is take away a lot of the prejudices and a lot of the things that exist for your clientele
and for individuals that don't deserve it quite bluntly and and deserve an open book
and an opportunity to just be treated as they are as human beings.
It seems like something that I think in today's day and age seems pretty understandable
and I think most people can wrap up their minds around pretty well.
But this wasn't always the case, especially when you first started.
That work that has been done.
There's no words and to put it to describe what that has done for not just our community
but our society.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I think back to, again, when I first started that we as the professionals, professionals,
we knew what was best for people with disabilities.
So we made decisions for them and really it's about, like you said, empowering the individuals
to understand what their rights are and how to give them a voice and how to advocate for
themselves.
And I've, again, really just seen the transformation of having people with disabilities be part
of all of these changes in transformation because when he comes down to it, they're the
ones that are benefiting from things.
None of us like to be told what to do or what's best for us, right?
So we're working on giving the information so people can make the best decisions for
them and take advantage of the opportunities that are out there.
And I think along with that, and one of the things that stands out to me is with the rise
and conversation about mental health, I feel like this area has been that much more prepared
to have those conversations because in some ways, we've had them already with the ODC
or with other organizations in our community.
And I think that's only made us stronger as a community and better for it.
And real quick before we go on to some of the events coming up and everything, I know
I do this a lot and I can't help myself.
I'm not going to apologize.
I love the ODC and I'm so thankful to the work over there on a personal level for what
they did for my family and my aunt Pat and empowering her and giving her an opportunity, giving
her a life back to be blunt, that she was having, she had a good life and it wasn't that
she was suffering, but you don't know what you don't miss until you, until you know,
it's not there.
And she enmissed out on a lot in life for many years.
And it was the work that the ODC did with her and the work she did on herself to get her
to the point now where I'm not really sure where she is.
I know she's traveling.
I know that much.
I know she's out there bopping around somewhere and having a good time.
I just haven't talked to her in a couple of weeks, so I'm not sure exactly where she is.
But if you to tell me that when I was a kid, I'd laugh at you, I'd never believed it.
And I get just thinking about it and I just get emotional thinking about it because she's
one of the most amazing him beings I'll ever know and she deserves that life.
That's one story.
That's just one story out of the thousands of stories that have come over the last 60
years.
A big thank you to the ODC to all the staff over there, not just currently, but over
the years that have worked there.
We appreciate you so much.
Really do.
And we appreciate you and all you do and all the support from our community.
We are speaking with Emily Peck from the ODC and we have some really cool events coming
up.
And one of them, we are just actually talking with Jeff Allen.
He joined us on Midday Magazine here a little while ago.
We were talking with him.
Amazing guy.
And hilarious.
Got a really good show coming up on the 31st.
It looks like.
Yeah, absolutely.
So yeah, we're happy to be partnering with the Arts Council to bring Jeff Allen Comedy
Show and $3 from every ticket sold is going to be donated back to ODC's opportunity for
whole mental health clinic for those of you that aren't aware, you know, Jeff Allen has
some of his own addiction and mental health history as well.
And so really we're fortunate and thankful to be partnering with him and to hear kind
of his story and, you know, to try and do some more good in our community.
And so we're thankful for the Arts Council and for Jeff for donating ticket sales back.
So when you and Sally were in and the three of us were talking with Jeff and everything,
it was one of those things that became very clear right away that the connection here
and how this just falls in, now this does fall into place really well and oh, this works
with this and everything.
And just a big tip of the hat to everybody for making this happen too, so that the logistics
of these things can be a little complicated sometimes to get it all worked out to this
point where we're doing this.
It's pretty cool.
And a great way to certainly promote our friends at the Arts Council, we appreciate
Sally and the gang over there so much bringing so much culture and great acts to our area.
But like Sally and like our ODC and like many people that we get to talk to are on their
show, that's not enough for them.
They want to do more.
They want to say, okay, we're bringing this awesome comedic act to our community.
That's cool.
Not all enough, but no, we're going to go an extra mile here and see how we can actually
not only promote this great or a part of the ODC, but benefit that part of the ODC.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, we're so thankful.
And to the point of what Jeff does with his show, I don't know that we can really put
it completely how important it is to be that face to this and bringing a name to it
and all.
And being as honest as he is with it, while also finding a great comedic spin to things
that Jeff is very good at, I always admire people that can laugh at themselves or they
can laugh at life.
At Jeff is very good at that.
Yeah.
I think it only helps.
Again, going back to the mental health conversation.
So many other things that we've talked about over the years and I think it really only makes
these conversations that much more accessible to everybody and people who are more comfortable
talking about these things.
And you got a comedian like that doing such a great job up there.
That show is coming up at the end of the month on the 31st.
Encourage you to go to the ODC.com to find more information or you can go to saverthearts.com
and find information that way as well.
We'll be talking about the show and we actually between us and Sally gave us a set of tickets.
We're going to be giving away.
We're looking forward to doing that.
So we're going to have some of our listeners joining you guys for the show.
Awesome.
We also have entertainment to empower coming up.
This is a really cool one.
I cannot wait to dive into this with you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it's actually brand new.
I'm trying something a little bit new this year.
And we're actually hosting it in Marshfield.
We don't always host events in Marshfield.
But yeah.
So we have entertainment to empower coming up on March 13th.
It's a Thursday evening and it'll be hosted at hotel Marshfield.
And we're just really excited where the entertainment is comedy sports out of Milwaukee.
So good.
So we haven't had the opportunity to really see comedy sports.
But as I understand it, it's similar to whose line is it anyway.
And there's a referee and things like that.
And so we're just super excited to be bringing an event back to the Marshfield area.
It's been several years since we've done that.
And so we'd love to see people join us.
If you're looking for more information, again, you can go to our website.
We are currently seeking some sponsorship opportunities as well.
And again, all of that is on our website.
But it's sure to be just a fun night or again, celebrating our 60th anniversary.
We'd love to have people join us.
If people have questions, they can certainly give us a call and reach out.
But comedy sports are fantastic.
And even if you've seen them once, twice, a hundred times, you haven't seen them like this.
Because every show is a new one.
Every show is unique and different and hilarious.
That is part of it.
There is no reruns and improv.
It's one of the things I love about it.
And they do such a great job with this.
It's going to be a really, really fun show.
Encourage you to look at getting into tickets, getting tickets and making plans for this one.
And to any businesses out there, I mentioned this all the time.
This is marketing 101 for you.
One of the best ways to advertise your business is attaching it to a nonprofit.
And especially if that nonprofit happens to have some history in an area, some notoriety
in the area, some respect in the area, well, there you go with the ODC.
You just heard Anne and I talking about it 60 years of this.
And how well this community has supported this area.
When you put your business next to the ODC, you are not only promoting your business, you're
showing your support your community, you're backing our nonprofits, and there is no dollar
sign you can put on that marketing wise.
There's no way you could do, hey, I'm giving you know, how much would it cost me to get
this?
There is no number for that.
You can do that by being a part of this great event and have a great time with it as
well.
To all business out there cannot encourage you enough to reach out to the ODC and be a part
of these things, whether it's entertainment to empower or it's some other events they got
coming up.
I just want to touch on one of them right now.
And then when you join us in the next couple of months, we'll talk more about run, walk,
rock, and roll and everything.
The four hope golf benefit at San Valley is coming up.
I know it seems a couple of months away, but that's going to come up real quick.
Yep, it's going to come up real quick.
Yep, and we're super excited about that as well.
That's going to be happening on May 15th.
So again, that is something that we utilize to support our opportunity for hope meant
to health clinic as well.
It's a very great event.
San Valley is just amazing and we just get such great feedback from the course.
We do the sandbox, which is the power three.
And so it's just, it's a really great event and we're hoping for a great weather again
this year.
It's another one of those events, too, where we're always looking for good sponsors and
we're looking for people to be a part of it.
So whether it is entertainment to empower or it is the four hope golf benefit or any of
the great events going on with the ODC.
Again, this is another one of those great marketing opportunities for you.
Jump on it, be a part of this and have your name associated with one of our stronger
and more respected nonprofits in our area.
And all the things we have talked about today, if people want to follow up, find out more
about the services or any of the above.
How can they do that?
Yeah, so you can go to our website at odcync.com or give us a call at 715-424-2712.
We'd be happy to chat and give you some information.
When I encourage you as well to follow them on social media, it's a great way to keep
up the data and the things they are doing.
Share their posts.
You just never know who might see them otherwise.
Be sure to check out Inksplash and Milkweed Market and so many of the great things waiting
for you over at the ODC.
And thanks so much again for the time we'll talk real soon.
Yeah, great.
Thank you.
Again, that website odcync.com, odcync.com.
That'll do it for now, but we'll be back with more midday magazine coming up right here
at 975-FM1320AMWFHR.
We are locally grown radio.