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10/01/2025
Volunteers of all abilities unite for Cuyahoga DD Week of Service at Cleveland's Edgewater Beach
Lindsay Buckingham
The beach cleanup at Edgewater showcased people of all abilities working side by side to help their community.
CLEVELAND — Dozens of volunteers gathered at Cleveland's Edgewater Beach early last week, armed with grabbers, bags, and big smiles, ready to give back to their community.
The beach cleanup was part of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities Week of Service, an initiative that has grown significantly since its inception.
"About four years ago, we started a volunteer day, a service day for all of our staff and in collaboration with the people with developmental disabilities that we support," said Amber Gibbs, CEO and superintendent of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities. "And we've had such overwhelming response from our staff and the people that we serve, that we've expanded our volunteer day into an entire week of service."
The event showcased people of all abilities working side by side to help their community.
"It's about finding their abilities and finding a way for them to live their best lives and show the community what they can contribute," Gibbs said.
Making a difference together
Among the volunteers was 66-year-old Paul Fallon, who has been working with Welcome House for almost two years.
"It makes me feel good because I like to do different things with other people because that's very important to do," Fallon said.
For Fallon, the opportunity to serve his community holds deep meaning.
"We want to keep our city Cleveland safe and we need more volunteers to go out and do some stuff," he said.
The Cuyahoga County Board has played a significant role in Fallon's life, particularly in helping him find employment opportunities.
"They help, they're helping me find a, a job and that's very important and that's something that we need to do. We need to have other people looking for different jobs," Fallon explained. "Because we want to earn some paychecks and we want to learn how to do applications when we go for an interview.""
Building community connections
The Week of Service extends beyond Edgewater Beach, with volunteers participating in projects across Northeast Ohio, including Medwish, the Foster Care Project, and the Cleveland Kids Book Bank, as well as other beaches and parks.
Gibbs emphasized that these partnerships benefit everyone involved.
"One of the really cool things about our week of service is that all of the organizations that we touch learn a little bit more about us as an organization and about people with developmental disabilities," she said. "So many places have said to us, I didn't even know you existed. You know, I'm so excited to see this. And I didn't realize how easy it would be to incorporate people of all abilities into our service projects."
The mission extends beyond what the organization can do alone.
"Cuyahoga DD can't do it all. Our goal is to connect people to the community and help the community support people with developmental disabilities, as well as using us as a resource and a service provider," Gibbs said.
A labor of love
For Gibbs, leading this organization is more than just a job.
"I tell people that I have the best job in the world because I get to work with people that I really care about. I get to see the changes that are made in their lives and I get to see how we can really make a difference in our community," she said.
She praised the dedication of her team: "At Cuyahoga DD, we have the best staff that anyone could ask for. They're dedicated, they are passionate, and they really believe in our mission, which is to support and empower people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, work, and play in the community."
For Fallon, the Week of Service represents something equally meaningful—connection and friendship.
"It means a lot to me because I love my friends and they all love me because it's nice to have friends around," he said.
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