Region 2 services outlines local intellectual‑disability supports, describes building damage and budget needs

Region 2 services and the North Platte Opportunity Center presented to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on July 28, describing local intellectual‑and‑developmental‑disability services, employment supports and facility needs.

Kylie Joyce, who works in Region 2’s intellectual and developmental disabilities program, told commissioners that 52 people originally from Lincoln County currently receive services through the Region 2 network. Of those, 48 receive services at the North Platte Opportunity Center and four receive services through South Central Developmental Services. Joyce said the assessed annual cost to provide needed services for those 52 individuals is about $5,800,000; that figure reflects combined costs for 24‑hour residential care for some clients as well as day‑services, supported employment and job coaches for clients who participate in work in the community.

“We were created 70‑some years ago by parents and community members who wanted something better for their folks,” Joyce said, noting that most program funds go to wages and benefits for direct‑support staff and supervisors. She told the board that Region 2’s expenditures for Lincoln County during the last fiscal year amounted to $73,860 and that those county funds are “greatly appreciated.”

Tina Gassnow, administrator of the Opportunity Center (North Platte and Ogallala), described services and community integration activities. She said the Opportunity Center operates supported employment programs and has clients working at local employers including Walmart, Dairy Queen and McDonald’s. The center runs Meals on Wheels routes, provides community‑based day activities, and organizes field trips and extended outings for clients.

Gassnow described a residential and program success story: a client who joined services at age 19 after foster care placements who has since obtained a driver’s license and is preparing to move into her own apartment while continuing to receive supports. Gassnow said the program prioritizes community participation and independence where appropriate.

Gassnow also told commissioners about significant property damage to the center: a large tree fell onto the Opportunity Center building in June. She estimated the replacement or rebuilding cost at roughly $1,200,000. She said insurance is expected to cover about one‑third of the cost, the site has been declared a disaster (FEMA/NEMA involved), and the organization anticipates applying for federal or state assistance, taking a loan and pursuing fundraising to cover the remainder.

Gassnow said the agency is a nonprofit that cannot currently afford broad staff raises; she asked that commissioners note the program’s staffing challenges and community value. She described the Opportunity Center’s copy center and small‑wood workshop as revenue‑generating activities that both employ clients and produce goods and services for the community.

Commissioners and other meeting participants praised the Opportunity Center’s work. Joyce and Gassnow answered questions about program size and services: Gassnow said the Opportunity Center served about 79 people across its programs and has recently expanded services in Ogallala.

The presentation did not include a county funding request on the meeting docket, but the speakers identified existing county support and detailed both program needs and disaster‑related financing concerns. Commissioners thanked the presenters and acknowledged the program’s value to the community.