A Community for Adults With Developmental Disabilities in Washington County

Griffin's Place started the way a lot of good things do, around somebody's kitchen table. More than 10 years ago, Becky Berger's son Griffin, who is nonverbal and autistic, was aging out of the public school system's transition program. The friends he had made through special education programming were aging out too, and suddenly there was no place for them to gather. So the Berger home became that place. Friends came over, socialized, and kept practicing the skills they had built in school.

Becky saw the bigger question behind those living room hangouts. Where do adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities go once school programming ends at 21? Many live in group homes without family support nearby. The social settings that helped them grow simply disappear. Griffin's Place was her answer, and today it serves people ages 14 into adulthood across Washington County.

Classes and Events Built Around Real Life

Spend an evening at a Griffin's Place event and you will see how much thought goes into every detail. Cooking classes turn a room at Hidden Creek Community Center into a full kitchen, hot plates and all, taught by an instructor who works as a Hillsboro transition teacher. Paint nights bring in an instructor while participants practice being in a room together and connecting. A speech language pathologist on the board volunteers her time for classes on things like table manners before Thanksgiving, starting conversations, and understanding another person's perspective. That last one came directly from a participant who said she has a hard time reading the room. They built a class around her request.

Every activity adapts to the person in front of them. Some participants have physical limitations, some have cognitive ones, and some you would never spot until you are in the activity together. Participants can bring a support person, and those with more independence can simply be dropped off, which gives caregivers a well earned break.

The Dances Everyone Talks About

The seasonal dances are the heart of it. A Cinco de Mayo dance filled the ballroom at Hidden Creek with about 130 people, and the Halloween dance is the most popular event of the year. A volunteer DJ sets up the works, exactly like she would for a wedding, at no charge. Deb Kolb, who runs programming and operations, says the dances are the most work and the most fun. People just get out there and go for it, no self consciousness, no hesitation.

Deb joined Griffin's Place after a career running skilled nursing facilities, back when the organization was entirely volunteer run. Ask her what surprises people most and she does not hesitate. When people from outside this world show up for the first time, they see how much folks with disabilities are able to do in the right environment. She tells the story of a participant who uses a wheelchair lighting up on the dance floor with a first time volunteer, smiling bigger than she had ever seen.

How to Volunteer or Support Griffin's Place in Hillsboro

Volunteering is easier than you might think. There is a form on the website that goes straight to Deb, and she pairs you with an activity that fits, whether that is pickleball or a dance. You are never expected to be a caregiver. In Deb's words, you do not need any previous experience, you just have to be able to have a good time.

Right now classes carry a small registration fee to cover space rental, and the goal is to raise enough support to make every class free and reach more of Washington County. Donations go directly toward that, and community fundraisers like the annual golf scramble give everyone a fun way to pitch in. Come to one event and you will understand why people keep showing up.