Hope Services is the leading provider of services to people with developmental disabilities in Silicon Valley. The term developmental disability refers to a severe and chronic disability that is attributable to a mental or physical impairment that begins before adulthood, such as intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and Down syndrome. Hope Services serves more than 3,900 people and their families in six counties and provide a broad spectrum of services for infants through seniors such as children’s services, day programs, staffing, mental health services, community living services, and senior services.
Hope also operates a number of businesses to raise funds and to provide employment for people with developmental disabilities, including a Recycle/Reuse business for clothing, household goods, and e-waste donations; Auto donations; HopeTHRIFT stores; and Employment (staffing solutions for businesses).
More than 60 years ago, a group of concerned parents who had children with special needs came together to change the way young people with developmental disabilities were treated. These courageous parents believed that their kids who had autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other related conditions deserved the same opportunities as everyone else.
Among their earliest achievements was opening one of the first preschools for these children. In 1952, 12 children with developmental disabilities walked through the door of a one-room schoolhouse in San Jose and entered a new world – a world where they could receive an education and make friends.
The founding families of what later grew to be Hope Services left a lasting legacy that reflects a simple philosophy that has guided the mission of Hope: to improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities.
