Ashland Supportive Housing (ASH) is an Ashland based non-profit agency that has been serving the developmentally disabled (DD) population in the Rogue Valley since 1982.  ASH provides housing and direct care support for DD individuals.  Our mission is to support people with disabilities to live a rich, fulfilling, and productive life with dignity and respect. We were established in 1982 and for nearly 30 years we have provided our clients with the best personalized care possible.  We are proud of our work and of the people we serve.

Current Projects: Respite House

ASH is currently attempting to expand our services to include out-of- home respite care.  We own a piece of property in Ashland that was recently vacated and we are now pursuing funding to make the necessary renovations for wheelchair accessibility and other respite home uses.  This respite home, in keeping with ASH experience and training, will serve the developmentally disabled population.  This is an under-serviced area for this population nationwide and ASH hopes to change that for DD people as well as their caregivers.

This project is beneficial to the DD population because it offers a destination for a vacation or temporary emergency housing that includes:

• Trained and experienced caregivers
• All the activities that Ashland provides
• The safety of supervision.

This is also valuable to the primary caregivers of DD individuals.  If the primary caregiver has a family or medical emergency or needs a vacation, they will have a place for their loved one to go where they will receive proper care and have fun activity options.

News Updates on Current Projects

Tuesday April 20, 2010 the City of Ashland awarded Ashland Supportive Housing $110,862.00 of the City Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to renovate a vacant house for the purpose of providing respite care. These funds will be used to remove tripping hazards, make the house wheelchair accessible, and fix the current plumbing, drainage, and electricity in the house.  This is a vital step in opening the respite house and ASH is grateful for the opportunity to use these funds to extend the scope of the services we provide to the developmentally disabled population.

Upcoming Events:

• 4th of July Booth- ASH will have a booth at the park on the 4th of July.  ASH hopes to use this booth to raise funds for our annual camp week.  Camp week has become an annual tradition for ASH clients but every year the cost of this activity increases.  Our clients are aging and some have retired, this means that ASH has to provide more staff to support their chosen activity level at camp, as well as provide financial assistance to clients who want to go camping but can’t afford the cost of the trip.  ASH is trying to raise funds to ensure that finances won’t prohibit any client from enjoying and participating in camp week.

• Camp Week- Every summer ASH packs up and heads to the great outdoors!  This week-long outdoor excursion is an ASH tradition.  Both clients and staff look forward to this week every year.  Camp week is a time that is set aside for clients to have a break from working, to break away from their weekly routine, and to engage in much anticipated activities like: boat rides, arts and crafts, music circles, and camp fire marshmallow roasts. Please come find us at our booth in the Lithia Park on the 4th of July and speak to staff or one of our board members to find out more information and how you can help.