Vodec Celebrates 50 Years

Founded in 1968 by a host of families focused on securing a safe and respectful environment for their family members with disabilities, Vodec celebrated its 50th anniversary in January. With offices in Council Bluffs and Urbandale, IA, as well as Omaha, NE, Vodec (founded as Vocational Development Center Inc.) continues to grow and evolve, serving hundreds of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities each year.

“We diversified from our original sheltered work service to a multi-layered and diverse menu of services focused on employability skills training, community employment, individual and group residential services, day habilitation, and transition services for high school students,” said Steve Hodapp, who’s been with the organization as CEO for 21 of these 50 years. “We also diversified our geography outside southwest Iowa to include Omaha and central Iowa.”

Vodec provides services to persons with disabilities in order that they may live, work, and participate in the community in the least restrictive environment to achieve their full potential. They believe this approach to service and its commitment to dignity, care, professionalism, and success allow them to reveal ability and open doors to whole lives for a segment of the society that has been historically mistreated and isolated. Learn more online at vodec.org, or contact (712) 328-2638 / comments@vodec.org.