EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series of outreach columns from the Champaign County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

At the Champaign County Board of Developmental Disabilities, we provide valuable services and support to people with disabilities in the community all year round.

Although our employees work all year to ensure people with disabilities are receiving the services they need to live and work in Champaign County, summer does bring a few new opportunities for our Board to get involved in the community. For the fifth straight summer, our Board has partnered with the Champaign Family YMCA and Champaign Residential Services, Inc. to provide a camp experience to eligible children in the area. These students with disabilities are supported by trained providers to participate in activities along with typical peers at a week-long YMCA day-camp.

You will also often find many of our employees supporting individuals who want to volunteer in the community. Recently, we have supported individuals with disabilities through Kiwanis Aktion Club to create Little Free Libraries and to read to children in the park. You may see us taking care of our community garden plot every Friday. You can also find our staff at many of the fairs and events held around the county. Summer is a perfect time for us to share our mission and connect with the community.

Another example is the Touch a Truck event held on July 16 in the parking lot of the Champaign County Board of DD. We invite the community to come over and see many big rigs, fire trucks and police cars, as well as get a free hot dog. We love this event because it’s one way for us to give back to the community and meet people who may not know what we do at the county board.

For more information on community outreach or to learn more about the Champaign County Board of DD, please check out our website at www.champaigncbdd.org and make sure to follow our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/champaigncbdd.org to keep tabs on all of the happenings.