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The History of RISE Ltd.
RISE Ltd. began in 1976 by parents of adults with disabilities. It started in the basement of Scenic Acres, formerly the Clayton County Care Facility in St. Olaf, IA, as an activity program. RISE Ltd.’s primary purpose is to provide an array of services to people with disabilities. The services RISE Ltd. provides are provided with the intent of being the least restrictive and as integrated as can be made available at any given time. RISE Ltd. strives to change its services to reflect each respective need of each respective client.
RISE Ltd. was originally called the Clayton County Adult Handicapped Program and formally incorporated in May 1980. At that time, RISE Ltd. moved out of the basement of Scenic Acres to their own building, formally known as the Mid-America Cheese Plant in Elkader.
In June 1981, RISE Ltd. was licensed to operate a Work Activity Center.
In November 1982, RISE Ltd. opened its first residential program in Elkader. It provided around the clock staffing and housed up to 9 residents. The main purpose of this service was to provide the necessary guidance and supervision to help develop independent living skills.
In 1983, RISE Ltd. officially became a sheltered workshop, providing job placement and vocational training.
In December 1983, a Visiting Apartment Program was created with four residents. It offered services to those individuals to maintain independent living in an apartment setting.
In April 1984, another location was opened in Garnavillo with five residents and one live-in supervisor. This home was later replaced in 1985 with a home in Elkader making it more convenient to attend the sheltered workshop program.
In 1985, RISE Ltd. opened a bottle and can redemption center. RISE Ltd. also provided services such as cleaning, laundry services, and piece work for local factories and businesses. In addition to this, the RISE, Ltd. workshop made products to sell such tire rugs, hitch pins and other home decor items.
In July 1987, RISE Ltd. opened a new 10 bed group home in Elkader which is located at Breezy Summit.
In 1990, a duplex was purchased in Elkader in which residential support services were provided. However due to flooding it was destroyed in 2018.
To replace the office and workshop at the creamery location, RISE Ltd.'s 14,000 square foot Elkader office and Workshop/Redemption Center was built at the current location at 106 Rainbow Drive in 1992.
In 1994, RISE Ltd. built their first apartment complex on 5th Street in Elkader.
This housing complex consists of one 1-bedroom and four 2-bedroom apartments.
In 2009, RISE Ltd. started providing Day Habilitation services at the Elkader office/workshop. The purpose of this service is to provide and teach life skills that clients can use in their own homes and communities and to further become integrated into their community.
The Elkader office/workshop building was renovated in 2012 converting part of the workshop space into an expanded Day Habilitation program space.
A second apartment complex was built in Elkader in December 2016 at 102 Rainbow Drive and consists of eight 1-bedroom apartments and a community room/storm shelter.
In May 2017, RISE Ltd.'s can and bottle redemption center closed due to changes in the legislation regarding work programs for people with disabilities.
In September 2018, RISE Ltd. purchased a small agency in Oelwein, formally known as Alternative Living Corporation, which consisted of two 5-bed group homes and a small hourly Supported Community Living program.
The former redemption center space was fully remodeled and reopened in March 2020 as a Community Recreation Center and is now open to the public for use. It hosts pickleball courts, basketball, cardio and weight machines.
Branching out further still, RISE Ltd. opened a Day Habilitation program in Oelwein in August 2020 at 16 1st Street SW, which also houses the administrative office for the Oelwein service area .
Construction began on a replacement group home in Oelwein in April 2021 and occupancy took place in January 2022.
Construction began on an additional replacement group home in Oelwein in November 2023 and occupancy took place in July 2024.
"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." - Abraham Maslow
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