Keith Fenton & Charday Jackson/Annandale Village
Tucked away on a beautiful 55-acre campus 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, Annandale Village is a special place where men and women with intellectual and developmental disabilities lead lives that reflect quality, independence, self-worth, and achievement with the utmost care and compassion. As a community where people can age in place, Annandale Village offers a comprehensive array of programs and services designed to improve the quality of life of each individual served, according to his or her own unique needs and abilities. Characteristically, individuals served at Annandale Village are 18 years of age or older with a primary diagnosis of an intellectual or developmental disability, and those that have experienced an acquired brain injury.
Nick Reynolds/Hi-Hope Center
Hi-Hope Service Center provides services to adults with developmental disabilities in Gwinnett County. Over 50 years ago, the parents of six young students from Gwinnett County founded one of the first organizations in Georgia to teach children with intellectual disabilities. The Hi-Hope Service Center, formerly known as Gwinnett County Association for Retarded Citizens, was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in 1960. Under the capable leadership of Vinie Lowry, and support from many parents and the greater Gwinnett community, construction of a special needs school was completed in 1970. In the late 1990s, when all student programs including the pre-school program were integrated into the public schools, Hi-Hope successfully transitioned to an organization supporting developmentally disabled adults. Currently, Hi-Hope supports 108 individuals through its weekday community access, employment and residential group home programs.
