Fifty Years at Lambs Farm

, dedicated to helping people with developmental disabilities, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011.  Seven original participants are still residents of the community and are taking this time to reflect on their experiences.

"There was nothing here," said Nancy Sauseda, 68, of the Libertyville campus. "And we started it."

Sauseda was a teenager when she started working at the Lambs Pet Shop on State Street in downtown Chicago, founded by Bob Terese and Corinne Owen.

"We had a key to the place," Sauseda said. "We would go and clean the pets. People came in and we asked what they wanted. It was fun. We had parrots, canaries, dogs, cats."

In 1965, the 70-acre farm in Libertyville was donated to Owen and Terese to expand their organization, and has since been known as "Lambs Farm."

"We used to take the train out here," Sauseda said. "We would make tomatoes and worked on the farm. There was nothing here. No houses, everything was different.  Now you look and see what happened."

What was once just a renovated barn housing the pet shop, the campus now holds several businesses, residence buildings, administration buildings and of course, a farm.

"I'm glad that everybody got some place to stay, to live," Sauseda said. "At first, they had one house, the dorm. I got to see the buildings being built. I saw good things."

Sauseda is now retired, but enjoys coloring and drawing, and spending time with her friends.

"[Lambs Farm] gave me a place to stay, which is what my mother wanted," Sauseda said. "I got to meet everybody along the way, it's really good."

Sauseda lives in one of Lambs Farm's group homes, one of many residential options offered to participants. Green-Field is an intermediate care facility for seniors needing 24-hour care. More independent participants are placed in individual apartments or community residences.  

Sauseda also takes part in Lambs Farm's senior program which keeps the older members active, physically and mentally.

Michael Hechtman Shares Memories From the Pet Shop

Michael Hechtman, Sauseda's friend and fellow original member, also participates in the senior program. Hechtman, 74, came to work at the downtown pet shop when he was in his early twenties.

"I cleaned cages downtown," Hechtman said. "And then the time came to come out here. I was living in a dorm, and a few years later I was working out here."

He says that in the organization's beginnings in Libertyville, he used to work at the Country Store and scraped plates outside the kitchen.

"It turned out good," Hechtman said. "I'm living in Green-Field. I have friends.  I talk to the staff."

Hechtman loves baseball and is an avid Cubs fan. He also enjoys Lambs Farm's Country Inn restaurant.

"Every month or so, I go to Country Inn to have a snack," he said. "They have good salad."

"Now I'm semi-retired, "Hechtman says. "I work Wednesdays and Fridays at the work center. I shred paper and work with the screws."

According to Lambs Farm Communications Coordinator Jackie Rachev, the work center offers contractor work, where members can perform odd jobs for outside companies.

"The work center offers piece projects for other companies," Rachev saids. "The participants will do mechanical projects or special events bags."

Hechtman says he enjoys working at the work center and the activities provided by the senior program.

"They worked so hard to gain the physical independence," Rachev says of the physical aspect of the senior program. "We want them to keep it. They have discussions, bingo, go to museums. Basically we want them to not be sitting in their rooms watching TV. And we've found that they're living longer."

Rachev says that what makes Lambs Farm unique is that it is vocational. Each member has to be able to work unless they are retired.

"The founders knew that there were jobs, they just had to figure out how to teach them," Rachev said. "That was in 1961. Think about everything that has happened since then, with special education in schools, the ADA.  And we're not done yet."

Rachev says that 2011 will bring many celebration activities and events to honor its anniversary.

"There will be a September Gala, a November dinner theater with resident performers," Rachev said. "There will be events on campus that are open to the community and all of our regular events will have a 50th anniversary twist."

Lambs Farm members come from all over the nation, as well as Canada. According to Rachev, it is so well known that they've been visited several times by people around the country wishing to mimic their non-profit.

"We think we're different because we focus more on vocational opportunities," Rachev said. "We support them in their life choices. I can't imagine Lambs Farm not being here."