Shore Community Services Celebrating 75 Years of Resilience and Inclusion

Shore Community Services is proud to announce its 75th anniversary, a milestone celebrated under the theme “75 Years – One Brilliant Story.” This anniversary honors the organization’s history of "Guiding Individual Abilities" and the enduring legacy of the families who have fought for the rights and dignity of their loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The "One Brilliant Story" of Shore began in 1949 in the Evanston basement of founders Thomas and Lois Lloyd. Their daughter, Patricia “Patty,” and other children with IDD were often excluded from the era's social and educational systems. In those early years, parents often faced doctors who dismissed their concerns or offered no path forward. Fela Dogadko, whose daughter Annie was born in Haifa before moving to Chicago, recalls the isolation and lack of resources: “Whenever I mentioned to a doctor, ‘What can I do? Something is not okay,’ the doctors said I'm imagining things; I am over-protective. I was all alone, and I thought I was the only one who had a child, and I noticed something going on.”

For others, the journey was marked by a fierce protection of their loved one’s dignity. Dan Lloyd, brother of Patty Lloyd, remembers realizing his sister was "different" only when he noticed the "looks of disgust" from strangers in downtown Evanston. "It was then that I resolved to never accept that kind of behavior from anyone," he says. "My sister Patty deserved better.”

Formally incorporated in 1951, the organization grew from those humble beginnings into a comprehensive network that now serves over 200 individuals annually through residential, vocational, and adult day programs.

Family members share a common thread of tenacity across the generations. As parents persisted, finding a network of both informal and formal support has been life-changing for individuals, parents, and siblings alike. The impact is seen in individuals like John Ogg, who found his voice through sign language at the Park School and eventually built a life of independence, working at Northwestern University and commuting by bus. “John was so young when he moved to Shore. He had friends, lots of people he loved hanging out with…he started working in the student cafeteria at NU when he was 18. He loves it. He does really good work,” said his sister, Laurie Ogg Burnett. John celebrates 40 years of employment this year.

Robert Verburg, whose sister Roxanne has been with Shore since 1988, reflects on the vital role of the organization for his mother, a single parent and immigrant: “Shore became an essential part of that support system... My family takes great comfort knowing that she is understood, cared for, safe, happy, and celebrated.”

Despite decades of progress in special education and community living, the story is far from over. There is still vital work to be done to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are not just supported, but fully valued and included in every aspect of community life. Illinois continues to lag behind other states in funding for critical services, and the workforce that supports people with IDD is shrinking while the needs of an aging population grow more complex. At the federal level, uncertainty with future Medicaid funding threatens an already fragile system.

"When individuals are introduced to Shore, they generally remain in our network of care throughout their entire lifespan," says Erin Ryan, CEO of Shore Community Services. “We take our role as a partner to families seriously, and will continue to develop programs that fill existing gaps and build upon the resilient legacy of our founding.”A new program launched in 2025 does just that - the “Connected Families” group meets monthly, bringing families together to help navigate and plan for services, while extending critical peer support as their children grow and transition into adulthood.

As Marilyn Leipsiger, mother to Joshua, poignantly states: “Ask any parent of a child with special needs what they wish for? In this order, they wish them to be safe, and they wish them to be happy.”