The 56th annual CDC dinner

On Tuesday Oct 27, 2009 we attended the 56th annual CDC dinner at the Jasper County Fairgrounds. The program for the evening explained what CDC is:

CDC Resources, Inc, is a 501(c)(3) Not-for-Profit organization that serves individuals with disabling conditions in Northwest Indiana. The orgainization was begun by parents of children with disabilities in 1953, and is governed by a local, volunteer Board of Directors.

As we entered the building, the sounds of music filled the air.
After a bit of socializing, it was time to eat. The dinner was catered by Jasper Junction, part of CDC, which has a small cafe in their store north of Rensselaer. The meal was delicious--some wonderful lasagna, chicken, scalloped potatoes, and green beans.
The theme for the night was Bloom Where You Are Planted. The theme was printed on only one of the three cakes that served as dessert for the evening.
The annual dinner and awards rotates between Rensselaer and Monticello. Last year I recall sitting with Monticello residents, and asking how they liked the new management of Indiana Beach. In the previous year the long-time owners of Indiana Beach had sold out to a large company. The locals were less than thrilled with the turn of events. They said that the old owners had allowed others to benefit from the park by subcontracting out various services. The new owners had largely shut out the old subcontractors as they had tried to grab those revenue streams for themselves. I did not find any gossip as interesting this year.

After dinner, there was a keynote speaker, a brief report from the executive director, and then some awards. CDC serves a number of counties in northwest Indiana, including White, Jasper, Carroll, Newton, and Benton. They have two centers, one in Rensselaer and one in Monticello. So each award was given twice, once for the north (Rensselaer) and once for the south (Monticello). Among the awards was Employer of The Year North, won by Devon's Doghouse. (Or is it just "The Doghouse" now?)

After the awards, the table decorations, made in the CDC center in Rensselaer, were raffled. Many of the winners were absolutely delighted to win.
No other meal or dinner I attend during the year is as happy and joyful as the CDC dinner.

If you have never noticed a CDC van here in Rensselaer, you have not been paying attention. CDC runs a small bus fleet that picks up its consumers (which is what it calls the roughly 500 people it serves) and takes them to the centers in Rensselaer or Monticello, or other destinations.
The CDC center in Rensselaer is at the end of Angelica Street, a bit east of Van Rensselaer school and just to the north of the windmill on the high school grounds.
Another CDC presence in the community is Jasper Village, on Sparling Avenue. It is one of four apartment buildings that CDC operates, the others being Monticello, Kentland, and Flora.

CDC gets funds from government programs and grants, from citizens and private organizations, and from some commercial enterprises. Jasper Junction is one of those. It recently began a new venture in Rensselaer, and that will be the subject of tomorrow's post.

Additional information about CDC is available on their website.