John and Kathy Ohman of Dennis.
DENNIS – Friends Or Relatives With Autism and Related Disabilities, known as FORWARD, is holding a fundraiser tonight to raise additional capital for a big project they hope to start next year.
“Raising money to build this duplex in Dennis, and we’re having a fundraiser at Embargo on Main Street in Hyannis on Thursday December 7th,” said co-founder Kathy Ohman.
The event will happen from 5:30 to 8:30 and will include an auction featuring many items including tickets to the bruins, the Celtics and The nutcracker in New York City.
The duplex the group wants to build will be a home for Adults with Autism or other developmental disabilities. The project has an estimated cost of $1.5 million.
They have already received $500,000 from Community Preservation Funds and the Dennis selectmen have provided them with a 99 year lease on a 5 acre piece of land.
And now they’re stepping up their fundraising efforts.
Ohman said that while people with special needs often have social skills as part of their education, “Once they’re out of school, it’s more challenging to find those avenues as adults, so working together and living together in a group home is a good way to live with your peers and find your place in the world.”
Once finished, the duplex will house eight adults.
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